The Portuguese Prosecutor’s Office has this week opened a file to investigate for alleged incitement to hatred the statements of the leader of the far-right party Chega, the parliamentary leader and a party advisor after the police shot dead a black man in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Lisbon.
In the early hours of October 21, Odair Moniz, 43, was driving in his car in the Damaia area, a neighborhood a few kilometers from Lisbon known for the large presence of African communities. He apparently stepped on a solid line and the police ordered him to stop, but he did not comply and a police chase began. Odair crashed into several cars before stopping and exiting the vehicle. The police failed to put handcuffs on the fugitive and shot into the air and into Odair’s torso, who died on the spot.
The 27-year-old agent who fired the shots against the Cape Verdean citizen ended up justifying his behavior with an alleged attempted attack with a knife, something that the video images do not show.
In these humble areas on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital, a climate of tension between residents and security forces is common. The lack of public policies, the growing stigma towards immigrant communities and the phenomena of radicalization within the police have created a kind of “perfect storm.”
After the death of Odair Moniz, tension escalated in some neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, with a wave of riots that destroyed cars, garbage cans and buses – one of which was attacked with a Molotov cocktail thrown at it. driver, who today remains “seriously” injured in the hospital – set on fire in protest of the police action that claimed the life of the Cape Verdean man. Last Sunday the funeral was held, and dozens of family members, friends and neighbors gathered to say goodbye, amidst pain and indignation.
The case has reopened the debate about racism and police violence in the country. “The racist extreme right is undeniably infiltrated in the police,” says the SOS Racism association. “The deaths of black people at the hands of the police raise the greatest concerns about the true motivations” of the officers, the organization notes.
Despite the questioned police action, Chega leader André Ventura was quick to publicly “thank” the agent who shot Moniz “for the work he did.” “We must reward him and not make him an accused, threaten to prosecute him or arrest him,” he added. “All [que hay que destacar es que Odair Moniz] “He tried to stab police officers, he was running away from them and he was going to commit crimes, in all likelihood.” This is not the first time that Ventura, whose party quadrupled the number of seats in the elections on March 10, has expressed xenophobic and racist opinions.
“It has no place in a democracy”
Last Monday, a group of citizens filed a criminal complaint with the Portuguese Prosecutor’s Office, in which they argue that “all accusations [de Ventura] They were false, invented and only intended to inflame social sentiments, causing social unrest, anger, resentment and violence.” “Praising a police action that led to the loss of a human life is obviously an apology for a crime,” something that is “sanctioned by the Penal Code,” they add.
The complaint – promoted by lawyers, left-wing analysts, professors, two former socialist ministers and cultural figures – has been supported by a petition that already has more than 130,000 signatures, one of the largest initiatives of this type in the country. María Escaja, one of the promoters of the petition, explains to elDiario.es that this mobilization shows that “not everything goes” because “there is a Constitution and a Penal Code that must be complied with” and “inciting hatred and crime has no “place in a democracy.”
“Not all police officers are racist or radicalized,” says Escaja, who points out the paradox that Chega is “the first to endanger the security forces” when “he exploits them without truly caring about their working conditions.”
The ultra party has long taken advantage of the informal structures of the security forces to grow its influence within these organizations. The best known case is that of Movimento Zero, an inorganic group that emerged in response to the accusation of Public Security Police agents for having detained and attacked young black men in 2015 inside the Alfragide police station, on the outskirts of Lisbon, without any justification. Ventura wore Movimento Zero bracelets and was always present at police demonstrations.
In addition to Ventura’s statements, the party’s parliamentary leader, Pedro Pinto, is also in the crosshairs of criminal action for having said, in a debate on the public information channel RTP3: “Maybe if [la policía] If he shot more to kill, the country would be more in order.” Chega’s parliamentary advisor is also accused of inciting hatred for having written on the social network
Last Saturday, two demonstrations were called at the same time: one against racism in the police, asking for “justice” for the death of Odair Moniz, and another in defense of the police, promoted by Chega. The ultra party’s demonstration was less crowded, demonstrating the difficulties of the extreme right in mobilizing outside of social networks.
#Portugals #farright #leader #investigated #praising #police #officer #killed #black #man
