Introduction<br > For those in Lisbon who were awake in the early hours of<br > 25 April I 974the first indication that something unusual was<br > going on came at 420in a communique broadcast anonymously<br > on Radio Clube Portuguesethe commercial station dealing mainly<br > in popmusicIt appealed for calmand asked people to stay at<br > homeand it advised PortugalS para-military organisations--<br > the Security Police and the Republican National Guardto<br > abstain from any confrontationThe communique was repeated<br > on the same station at 445 and thentwo hours latercame a<br > statement from a spokesman forThe Armed Forces Movement<br > that military units had encircled LisbonFrom then onas<br > further communiques were broadcastthe station played Por<br > tuguese music interspersed with protest songs--something<br > unheardofin the Portugal ofDr Salazar and Professor Caetano<br > It was not until 830 that the national serviceRadio Portugal<br > read a communique from theArmed Forces Movementpre-<br > ceded and followed by the National Anthemthat most Portu<br > guese learned that a military coup was taking placeThere had<br > been an abortive attempt at a coup the previous monthbut<br > this had been quickly suppressedThis time it WaS differentas<br > events were soon to show<br > In factthe few hundred army officer members ofThe<br > Armed Forces Movementor MFA as it came to be called in<br > all three Serviceshad been waiting for two earlier broadcasts<br > which had been made on time by pre-arranged signalsjust<br > before midnight Emissores Associados de Lisboa put out the simple<br > wordsIt is five minutes to elevenand then played a record of<br > the Portuguese songE depois do AdeusThere seemed nothing<br > unusual in thisThenat half-past midnightthe Lisbon Catho<br >