A man suspected of links to an anarchist group has been arrested after throwing a petrol bomb at a March for Life in Lisbon.

Around 500 people were gathered outside the Assembly of the Republic in the Portuguese capital, including several minors and babies, when the petrol bomb was thrown.

The device, however, failed to ignite.

Police said the suspect was immediately intercepted at the scene, allowing for his swift arrest. “Several individuals who were allegedly part of a group with anarchist affiliations fled the scene; three members were later identified,” the statement added.

The Archbishop of Lisbon, Rui Valério, released a statement saying the attack was “absolutely unacceptable.”

“Violence is never the answer. It does not build, it does not dignify, it does not serve the truth. And it becomes even more painful when it threatens the most vulnerable, especially children, who should always be a beacon of hope and never exposed to fear,” he said.