Since 1987, on March 24th we celebrate National Student Day as a form of stimulating the participation of students in school life and improve their connection with the community. This commemoration recalls the struggles of a severe academic crisis occurred in Portugal in the 1960s.
Procópio de Freitas (standing), a former student and an anonymous colleague were captured in 1889 by Photographia Vicente.
César Procópio de Freitas (b. Funchal, 1877- d. Lisbon, 1941) was a Navy officer and politician. During the Great War (1914-1918), as First Lieutenant, he defended the coast at the command of the tugboat NRP Minho, which was affiliated to the Lagos Naval Station (Algarve). He became commander of the Setúbal and Angra do Heroísmo Ports, and later of the the Maritime Police.
He was also sub-inspector of the Navy and head of the Southern Maritime Department.
Evidencing a rebel character, he joined in a series of upheavals around the country. He was present in the revolt of May 14th, 1915, a coup that aimed to overthrow the government of General Pimenta de Castro and thus restore the Portuguese Constitution of 1911, which resulted in about 200 deaths and 1000 injured people. As Frigate Captain, he contributed in the planning of a new coup, blocked in September 1921, resulting in his arrest. Weeks later, and free again, he became one of the leaders of the October 19th revolution, known as the "Bloody Night", during which António Granjo, then president of the Ministry, Machado Santos and José Carlos da Maia, two historical figures of the Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic, and Commander Freitas da Silva, secretary of the Minister of the Navy, were murdered. As a politician, he was also a leader and one of the founders of the Radical Party (initially Partido Republicano de Fomento Nacional).
Procópio de Freitas played an important role in the May 28th, 1926 revolution, which put an end to the First Portuguese Republic and opened way for the Military Dictatorship, which became institutionalized as the Estado Novo. He was awarded the Cross of War medal, the Grand Officer of the Order of Avis and other military honors.
Credits: Madeira Photography Museum - Atelier Vicente’s
Photographia Vicente - 1889-12-10
8.3 x 5.4 cm | Simple negative, glass | Gelatin-silver print PT / ABM / VIC / R / 001-001 / 000104
VIC / 3448