6 June 1975 Micalense Farmers' Protest

The 6 June 1975 Micalense Farmers' Protest, or simply the 6 June (as it is known locally), was an organized protest by Micalense farmers, in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the then-Autonomous District of the same name, following the Carnation Revolution. Inspired by rural property-owners and right-wing factions, the protest forced the resignation of the civil governor and inspired a series of terrorist acts, that ultimately led to the creation of the Regional Junta of the Azores, and the basis of modern Azorean politics.

The protest was organized by large property-owners and landed gentry of the island of São Miguel that united hundreds of protesters. The principal motive of the gathering was to demonstrate agricultural issues, but mixed reactions against the left-leaning policies on the continent, and the desire to prevent progressive reforms in São Miguel. In particular, was a proposal by the anti-fascist Civil Governor of the Autonomous District of the Azores, António Borges Coutinho, and President of the Junta Geral, Álvaro Soares de Melo (both members of the MDP/CDE), to implement the reform of rural land rent policies and, possibly, the adoption of agrarian reforms imposed by the Ministry of Agriculture (Portuguese: Ministério da Agricultura).

The possibility of freedom and democracy, promoted by the Movement of the Captains (Portuguese: Movimento dos Capitães) brought to the Azores a perception that the time to reclaim political autonomy or even independence was at hand for some. The radical politics in the continent, with the spectre of nationalization, contributed daily to the feeling of confrontation, in an archipelago that was openly hostile to communism and leftist ideologies.

The economic situation in the region was no better. In 1975, half of the population was involved in agriculture, and the nascent economy was asfixated by the price differential between the islands and the continent. Feed, fertilizer, cement and gas/oil were all influenced by cost of transport, inflation and the high margins fixed by commercial monopolies. High interest rates and low milk prices put the agricultural industries at risk: many of the farming families were desperate.