A crowdfunding campaign has been initiated by the Lisbon-based station Rádio Quântica to financially support the establishment of a new community arts space and studio in the Portuguese capital.

This initiative comes in response to the closure of Rádio Quântica’s current location, Planeta Manas, which is set to close on July 25. The queer venue has recently faced multiple police raids that have adversely affected its operations.

Rádio Quântica aims to raise €2,500 for the new space, which will serve as the stations base following the imminent closure of Planeta Manas next month, marking a new chapter for Quântica as it approaches its 10th anniversary.

“In the year we celebrate our 10th anniversary — and after helping bring to life the Ano Q festival, countless workshops, a community radio lab, and the beloved Planeta Manas — we’re once again entering a period of transition,” they wrote alongside the fundraiser.

“With the closing of our dear nest Planeta Manas, which could not withstand the combined forces of gentrification and police violence in these hard times of liberal neo-fascism, we are now faced with the task of relocating our studios and home base.”

Planeta Manas disclosed in February that it had been subject to a raid by riot police, marking the fourth such incident in just five months. The venue reported that members of the associated organization were “physically assaulted with truncheons” by armed and hooded police.

Rádio Quântica stated that it has reached out to “institutions, the municipality, and local councils” to secure a new location, but has been informed that “decisions would only be made after the elections in October.”

The station has identified a potential new home in Alcântara, which they hope to transform into a “cultural hangout" for the community, hosting everything from exhibitions to live shows and workshops.

“We’ll be paying €900 in rent — the bare minimum we could find for a space that’s independent, decent, well located, and big enough,” they mentioned. “Our yearly budget, which includes support from the Direção-Geral das Artes, includes room for one crowdfunding campaign — and this is it.”

The station is looking to raise €2,500 to cover “unforeseen costs,” which will also contribute to upfront rent and the relocation of sound equipment and furniture.

“We promise to give all that love right back, and then some—with doors wide open to welcome you in,” they expressed. “We say goodbye with heavy hearts (the closure of Planeta Manas has left us inconsolable), but with hope for a future where we can keep resisting.”