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O manifestante assina a petição, mesmo que o governo o ignore.

O manifestante assina a petição, mesmo que o governo o ignore.
The protester signs the petition, even if the government ignores him.
From Lesson 265:Concessive clauses (mesmo que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O manifestante assina a petição, mesmo que o governo o ignore.

Why does this sentence use ignore instead of ignora?
The phrase mesmo que (even if / even though) introduces a condition that doesn't stop the main action. In Portuguese, this type of phrase always triggers the subjunctive mood. Since the main verb (assina) is in the present tense, we use the present subjunctive form ignore.
Could mesmo que also mean 'even though' here?
Yes! In English, 'even if' implies a hypothetical situation, while 'even though' implies a known fact. In Portuguese, mesmo que covers both meanings and always uses the subjunctive, regardless of whether the government ignoring him is a fact or just a possibility.
Why is the pronoun o placed before the verb in o ignore?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb. However, the word que acts as a 'magnet' (an attractor). Because ignore is in a subordinate clause introduced by que, the pronoun is pulled in front of the verb.
Is the word manifestante always masculine?
No, words ending in -ante (like estudante or manifestante) are usually invariable, meaning the word itself doesn't change for gender. You can tell this is a male protester because of the masculine article O. A female protester would be A manifestante.

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