25 abril
Abril de Abril
Era um Abril de amigo Abril de trigo
Abril de trevo e trégua e vinho e húmus
Abril de novos ritmos novos rumos.
Era um Abril comigo Abril contigo
ainda só ardor e sem ardil
Abril sem adjectivo Abril de Abril.
Era um Abril na praça Abril de massas
era um Abril na rua Abril a rodos
Abril de sol que nasce para todos.
Abril de vinho e sonho em nossas taças
era um Abril de clava Abril em acto
em mil novecentos e setenta e quatro.
Era um Abril viril Abril tão bravo
Abril de boca a abrir-se Abril palavra
esse Abril em que Abril se libertava.
Era um Abril de clava Abril de cravo
Abril de mão na mão e sem fantasmas
esse Abril em que Abril floriu nas armas.
Manuel Alegre
THE REVOLUTION BY THE MINUTE
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and five other MFA [Armed Forces Movement] officials were posted at the Engineering Regiment 1 (Pontinha) where, since the day before, the Commanding Headquarters of the Movement had been secretly installed. From here Otelo commanded the military operations against the regime.
The Lisbon Associated Broadcasters played Paulo de Carvalho's song "E depois do Adeus" , marking the beginning of the military operations against the regime.
Rádio Renascença's program Limite broadcasted José Afonso's song "Grândola Vila Morena", serving as the password chosed by the MFA [Armed Forces Movement] to indicate that military action is ongoing and irreversible.
Strategic points were occupied: RTP [state owned television], National Radio, Portuguese Radio Club, Lisbon Airport, General Headquarters, Army Headquarters, the Ministry of Defense, Bank of Portugal and Marconi. The Portuguese Radio Club broadcasted the movement's first public announcement. The paramilitary forces loyal to the regime started to surrender. Of these, the Portuguese Legion was the first.
Carmo's Convent, then the Guarda Nacional Republicana Headquarters was surrounded. The operation was led by Salgueiro Maia. Thousands of people filled the square in support of the revolutionary military forces. Inside Carmo Headquarters were Marcelo Caetano and two of his ministers.
Salgueiro Maia
Having expired the initial deadline for surrender ordered by Salgueiro Maia through his megaphone and after several attempts made by civilian mediators, Marcelo Caetano informed that he was willing to surrender and asked for the presence of a MFA official of a rank not inferior to Coronel.
General Antonio de Spínola, mandated by the MFA [Armed Forces Movement
They finally surrendered. The light tank BULA entered the Headquarters to extract the ex-president of the Council and the two ministers that accompany him. They were taken to the Movement's Commanding Headquarters in Pontinha.
Elements of the PIDE/DGS [political police of the dictatorship] shoot demonstrators that had begun concentrating outside the political police headquarters on António Maria Cardoso Street. Four civilians were killed and 45 are wounded.
One of the PIDE people and old pictures came down at their HQ.
the Republic. At the same time, political prisoners were liberated from Caxias and Peniche and the former political police agents were sent in to the same cells.
Return of Mário Soares, leader of the Socialist Party (Mário Soares) and of Álvaro Cunhal, leader of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) from exile.
"O 25 de Abril Foi Uma Ruptura, Não Foi Uma Transição nem Uma Instauração"