The meeting, called ‘American Vigil for Democracy’, is intended to “pay tribute to President Barack Obama for improving the domestic situation in the United States and its relationship with the world.”
A statement sent from the organisers to Lusa said the vigil is also to “call attention to the need for vigilance in the political future of the United States and its adherence to democratic principles during the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.”
The meeting will begin at 5 pm in Largo do Carmo in Lisbon, the time and place both being chosen for their symbolism.
“The time, 5 pm, is the time of the official transfer of power to the new administration at midday local time in Washington, and the location has echoes of the history of Portugal as the main place of public protest during the Carnation Revolution in 1974,” the statement explained.
Writer Misha Pinkhasov, who has lived in Portugal since 2014, is one of the vigil’s organisers.
“It is particularly important for Americans abroad to remain involved in the country’s political process and show the world that we will examine and respond to the actions of a government whose first signs have been very worrying,” he said.
Another US citizen involved is Patrick Siegler-Lathrop, president of Democrats Abroad Portugal, who said the event was not party political.
“This vigil is also a non-partisan expression of gratitude to the Obama government for what it has done in the last eight years in so many areas,” he said.
According to the organisers, similar demonstrations will be held in the days following Trump’s investiture, including the Women’s March on 21 January in Washington, which is expected to attract 300,000 people from across the country.
Local vigils and marches are also planned in New York, Los Angeles and in European cities including Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague. The organisers of the vigil in Lisbon have said it is open to everyone.
Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election on 8 November 2015, will be sworn in as the 48th president of the United States on 20 January in a public ceremony held next to the Capitol building in Washington DC.
In an emotional farewell speech delivered in Chicago on Tuesday, President Barack Obama called on Americans to defend their democracy.
He told thousands of supporters that America is now a better, stronger place “than it was eight years ago” when he took office, but he warned “democracy is threatened whenever taken for granted”. The country’s first black president, now 55, was first elected in 2008.
His successor, Donald Trump, has vowed to undo some of Mr Obama’s signature policies.