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CNN Portugal commentator Jorge Silva Carvalho analysed the protests held in Lisbon and Porto regarding the housing crisis, questioning the immediate involvement of legal representation in inorganic movements.
The author argues that Portugal should reform its Annual Internal Security Report to include detailed offender demographics, citing the Danish model as a superior approach to addressing rising violent crime in major cities.
The Minister of Internal Administration has confirmed the closure of several PSP police stations in Lisbon, aiming to reallocate officers to street patrols, while the National Police Union calls for a comprehensive restructuring of urban security.
“The Assembly of the Republic must assume its responsibilities for overseeing the Government's activity,” the party stated.
The late afternoon and early evening of Saturday were once again marked by the protest of thousands, who filled Chiado, heading towards Rossio, and in Porto, heading towards Praça D. João I.
Luís Neves guarantees coordination with the PSP during last Sunday's police charge, a position criticised by João Veloso. Meanwhile, in Ukraine and Russia, new attacks on infrastructure have been recorded.
In Porto, the gathering is scheduled for Batalha; in Lisbon, the demonstration begins in Chiado and ends at Rossio. Additionally, in the health sector, the government is preparing “another wave” of public-private partnerships.
On Sunday morning, around 2:00 am, the PSP police moved in on the housing protest encampment at Rossio. This followed over three hours of warnings. Dozens of arrests and some injuries followed, along with barricades and further police charges in the Baixa district. In Porto, a simultaneous intervention resulted in six arrests. Since then, there has been much debate regarding whether the police could intervene and the manner in which they did so. Distinguishing between the legality of the police intervention and the proportionality of the force used is essential to understanding the events. While the Portuguese Constitution guarantees the right to protest, the 1974 right of assembly law sets specific time limits, making the order to disperse legally valid. However, even if the order to disperse is legitimate, the use of force must be strictly necessary and proportional. International standards and national codes of conduct dictate that coercive measures should be a last resort after dialogue fails, and that batons should only be used against individuals who are aggressive or violently resisting, not those engaging in passive disobedience. Investigations by the Inspectorate General of Home Administration and the Public Prosecutor's Office are now underway to examine the full sequence of events and the conduct of individual officers.
The 55 protesters arrested following the dismantling of the first encampment in Praça D. Pedro IV (known as Rossio) must choose between paying 150 euros to suspend the proceedings or facing trial, reported the Lusa Agency. After being arrested on October 20, the protesters had their hearing postponed to Tuesday, October 27. Around 10:00 am this morning, the 55 appeared before a judge at the Campus de Justiça. Ricardo Sá Fernandes, a lawyer for some of the protesters, told Lusa that the court gave them until November 6—next Friday—to decide whether they want to accept a provisional suspension of the proceedings by paying 150 euros, or go to trial. Other defense lawyers noted that some clients prefer to face trial rather than admit to the crime, which would be implied by paying the suspension fee. Similar terms were offered to 27 others arrested during a subsequent police intervention in Lisbon, while six people arrested in Porto have already chosen to go to trial.
After hours of tension and several warnings, the PSP moved in to remove the tents at Rossio in Lisbon and Praça D. João I in Porto. The movement reports dozens of injuries, but official PSP data points to a total of eleven, including three police officers.
There are also reports of two minor injuries.
After prior warnings, the PSP removed the tents where protesters were staying at the encampments in Praça D. João I, in Porto, and in Rossio, in Lisbon.
The Public Security Police Intervention Corps intervened early this morning to remove tents remaining at Praça D. Pedro IV in Rossio, arresting some protesters who allegedly resisted. In Porto, the police did not use force.
Strengthening municipal police forces may be politically appealing. But doing so at the expense of the PSP is a mistake, and it is a mistake that the country cannot afford.
The Prime Minister announced that the Government will reinforce the PSP metropolitan commands in Porto and Lisbon with 200 new officers for each of these structures.
Luís Montenegro was speaking after an 'extremely productive meeting' with the mayors of Lisbon and Porto.
The Prime Minister acknowledges that security has been a “dominant theme” and therefore presents a proposal to reinforce police presence on the streets. Additionally, the President of the Constitutional Court resigns from their duties.
There will also be an increase in patrol actions by the PSP intervention unit in Lisbon and Porto, specifically in areas with the highest criminal activity.
