Painted with the colors of red carnations, posters and the flags of Portugal, of parties and civil society movements, Avenida da Liberdade was once again the stage for the traditional parade commemorating April 25th. Today, a special celebration, which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. "It's the first time. My father used to come a lot. In his honor, I came here with my sister and my two daughters", João Cabral, 42, tells Lusa. Holding hands with his four-year-old daughter, he explains that he brought her to the parade, although he considers it "too early" to talk to her about the importance of April 25th. Behind the two chaimites, who led the parade, a column of hundreds of thousands of people celebrated with carnations on their chests or in their hands, in a parade that slowly made its way down the avenue over four hours. "If anyone could doubt that they will not pass, here we have the demonstration of that", said the president of the April 25th Association, Vasco Lourenço, in his closing speech for the parade, when many had not even reached the middle of the route. As usual, the parade was also a meeting of generations, some of whom had already taken to the streets 50 years ago, others who were born in democracy and make a point of celebrating it, and even the children of those who lived their first April 25th today. "I wasn't there, but I'm here", read one of the many posters that adorned the crowd. With a gleam in her eye, as she watches the start of the parade, Isabel Lagoa, 72, has no doubts in saying that April 25th "was the happiest day" of her life. "It means everything. Freedom from the shackles of fascism", she stresses. The same age as Isabel Lagoa was in 1974 (22), young Catarina Rocha tells Lusa that she sees the importance of the Carnation Revolution reflected in her grandparents. "I see the joy that April 25th was for my grandparents. For young people, April 25th is freedom", she says. In the central lanes of Avenida, hundreds of thousands of people participated in the parade, from the Marquês de Pombal roundabout to Praça do Rossio, at a slow pace, which at 4:30 pm, an hour after it started, left those who had not yet left the starting point wondering if the march had not yet started. On the sides, many others took advantage of the shade of the trees to watch the parade pass by, with many young people sitting on top of trees and bus stops. Despite not participating in the march, they did not forget the red carnation or the slogans. Amidst the happiness and celebrations, José Marques, 80, and a former political prisoner, acknowledged that "there is still a lot missing", stressing that "democracy is built throughout life". After 50 years, more than half of his life has been spent in democracy, but on the fiftieth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, he regrets that the country has finally discovered "those who preferred to be on April 24th on April 25th", referring to the far-right party Chega. The alert was also given by Vasco Lourenço, without referring to André Ventura's party, speaking of "times of uncertainty and great concern", due to the international context, but not only. Without specifying, he warned that "new dictators are on the ground or threaten to appear on the horizon", calling into question the values of April and ended the speech, before hearing the second password of the revolution - "Grândola, Vila Morena", by José Afonso - with the phrase that, during the afternoon, was being repeated in unison: April 25th forever, fascism never again. Read Also: The 50 years of April 25th seen from abroad. "A country open to the world" (Portuguese version)