“Although we understand the need to guarantee public order, we cannot fail to point out the economic impact that this measure entails, especially for businesses that depend on the influx of people on busy days,” said AHRESP, in response to the Lusa news agency.

Lisbon City Council, through a municipal order, has determined that nearly 60 restaurants, cafes and supermarkets in the Marquês de Pombal and Parque Eduardo VII areas must close at 5:00pm on Saturday, due to possible celebrations for the champion of the main football league.

The decision is justified “for security reasons” and after a request from the Public Security Police (PSP), within the scope of the possibility that the Portuguese football title could be awarded on Saturday, in the Lisbon classic between Benfica and Sporting, which starts at 6 pm at Estádio da Luz.

Normally, to celebrate winning the championship, fans of both clubs gather at the Marquês de Pombal roundabout and the surrounding area.

According to AHRESP, the early closing of establishments on Saturday, from 5 pm onwards, compromises “the second period of highest weekly revenue”.

Mentioning that “this is not the first time” that establishments have been forced to close for preventive reasons related to sporting celebrations, the association reinforces that it understands that “public safety must always be a priority” and emphasises that the measure aims to “avoid potential situations of public disorder”, in a predictable context of large crowds and collective euphoria.

“This is an exceptional and unavoidable situation, determined based on risk assessments carried out by security forces, and there are no alternatives that guarantee the same levels of security,” he explained.

Despite understanding the time restriction, AHRESP is concerned about the economic impact it will have on restaurant and beverage entrepreneurs, having been, “from the very beginning”, in contact with the Lisbon City Council to note the “losses” that this decision represents for the affected establishments.

Ensuring monitoring of the situation, maintaining dialogue with the municipality and the competent authorities, the association highlights its availability to support its members in managing the impacts of this measure, as well as “in the search for more balanced and fair future solutions”.

With a similar view, the Avenida da Liberdade Association states that the time restriction affects commercial activity in the region, but recognises that the measure “is inevitable, even for security reasons”, which is why business owners have to accept it, “with civic sense, to avoid bigger problems”.

This association represents around 150 businesspeople from the commerce, catering, tourism, culture and offices in the Avenida da Liberdade area, one of the main arteries in the city of Lisbon, which connects Praça do Marquês de Pombal to Praça dos Restauradores.

Speaking to Lusa, the president of the Avenida da Liberdade Association, Pedro Mendes Leal, said that the restriction “affects all economic activity on the avenue, because some are forced to close their doors and others that have their doors open are also affected by the abnormal hustle and bustle”.

When asked whether there will be establishments that will choose, on their own initiative, to close earlier on Saturday, including luxury stores, the person in charge says that he does not have this information, noting that it is up to each business owner “to take the precautions they see fit”.