'We need support' — Portuguese restaurant owners stage lockdown hunger strike

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Nine restaurant, bar and nightclub owners began a fifth day of hunger strike on Tuesday outside Portugal’s parliament in protest against coronavirus restrictions, Reuters reports.

“We need support ... to keep our heads above water,” said Alberto Cabral, who runs a nightclub.

The protesters — camping outside parliament and living off water, tea and coffee donated by their supporters — say they will not eat until they are met by the prime minister and economy minister.

One more business owner joined their strike on Sunday.

Bars and nightclubs have been closed since March and while restaurants were allowed to reopen in May, a curfew and weekend lockdown in place across most of the country since Nov. 8 has angered restaurateurs, who say many of their businesses will not survive the year.

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