The Slander Made by CHEGA Was Viewed 1.7 Million: What Really Happened at Pasha Beach Bar?

We are faced with a very shocking and saddening incident about how a news can spread at the speed of light on social media and completely distort the underlying reality. According to the details provided by Notícias ao Minuto and Lusa Verifica, the claim that Portuguese-speaking customers were kicked out of a venue in Costa da Caparica caught fire on social media. With provocative posts by senior figures of the CHEGA party, the incident reached 1.7 million views and the business quickly became the target of a massive hate campaign. So, what really happened in the middle of the matter, that is, in the field? When we examine the facts, it becomes clear that the picture is completely different. 20-Second Video and Major DistortionThe process started with a limited 20-second video shared by CHEGA deputy Rui Paulo Sousa. “In Portugal, Portuguese people were kicked out of an Indo-Pakistani restaurant just because they spoke their language,” they claimed. Then party leader André Ventura whipped up this discourse and served it to his followers. However, when the public verification service Lusa Verifica stepped in and investigated the matter, the truth of the matter became clear. The place in question is the Mediterranean restaurant Pasha Beach Bar on Costa da Caparica. According to the information given to Lusa by Mahmud el-Hadad, the manager of the business, the group that was expelled from the venue openly shouted racist insults at an Algerian employee, calling him a "damn refugee" for not being able to explain the types of hookah. The manager took a very right and determined stance and asked the group to leave the venue because his staff was being racist. The video circulating on social media only includes the moments when the principal takes the group out; Those ugly insults beforehand are deliberately not recorded. Witnesses of the incident included Italian customers at the venue and the Marine Police who came to the address afterwards. Unverified Claims and Ruined Efforts The saddest part is that the Instagram account that first shared the video admitted that it had acted without knowing the full context of the situation and apologized to the public. But once the arrow was released. The statements made by the Portuguese owner of the restaurant, Ana Duram, to Lusa show how the efforts of a business and its employees are wasted. While threatening phone calls and hate messages were pouring into the business, Ana Duram initiated legal proceedings against both the customer who shot the video and those who spread this slander without verifying and engaged in politics over them. Deputy Rui Paulo Sousa, in his statement to Lusa, admitted that he did not call the restaurant to confirm before making the post. Moreover, even though the truth of the incident has been revealed, he refuses to remove the post, saying, "The video will remain on my page until the court says otherwise." Social Media Algorithms and Digital DisinformationThese events exactly match academician Ana Filipa Joaquim's research on CHEGA's digital communication strategies. The investigation reveals that the party uses disinformation and decontextualized videos as a fictional tool to inflame its supporters. A short pre-cut video, a provocative comment added on top, zero verification, and the result: a business' reputation damaged and workers threatened. This is why it is vital not to believe every angry video we see on social media and to ask about the background of the incident. Behind the 20-second fiction lies a huge amount of effort and sweat that people have built with their nails for years.