Portugal's far-right leader ordered to remove posters targeting Roma community

LISBON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The leader of Portugal's far-right Chega party was ordered to remove street posters for his presidential campaign attacking the Roma community, after a Lisbon court ruled they were discriminatory and could incite hatred.

Judge Ana Barao said the poster "attacks an ethnic minority," and she gave Andre Ventura 24 hours to remove them or face a daily fine of 2,500 euros ($2,940) per poster.

The anti-immigration, anti-establishment Chega emerged just six years ago and in May became the second-largest parliamentary force after the ruling centre-right alliance.

"(The posters) aggravate the stigma and prejudice that Roma communities already face in Portuguese society in general, thus fostering intolerance, segregation, discrimination and, ultimately, hatred," Barao wrote in her ruling.

Ventura has called the court case an "attack on freedom of expression", but last week promised to comply with whatever the court decided. A Chega spokesperson said Ventura would respond later.

Ricardo Sa Fernandes, the lawyer representing the Roma associations that filed the complaint, said the decision would help make Portugal "more just and decent", calling it "a victory for the resistance" of the Roma.

In May, Portuguese prosecutors opened an investigation into discriminatory remarks against Roma made by Ventura.

Recent opinion polls place Ventura, who campaigns on a promise to fight corruption, among the frontrunners in the first round of Portugal's presidential election on Jan. 18.

Polls also indicate he would lose to any of his three main rivals in a runoff vote.

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(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei Khalip, Alexandra Hudson)