Protesters demanded justice for Odair Moniz, the man shot dead by Portuguese police forces.
Thousands of people took part in a demonstration against police violence in Lisbon on Saturday, after several nights of riots triggered by the death of a man shot dead by police earlier this week.
Protesters demanded justice for Odair Moniz, the Cape Verdean shot dead by Portuguese police forces. This father was 43 years old.
For four days, violence broke out in the working-class neighborhoods of Lisbon where large immigrant communities live.
Several flags from the Vida Justice movement, which organized the demonstration, as well as from Cape Verde invaded Avenida da Liberdade.
The demonstrators, who marched peacefully on the main avenue of Lisbon, chanted the slogan “ Justice for Odair “.
Portugal’s right-wing Chega party called for a demonstration in defense of the police at the same time in Lisbon.
This demonstration brought together around 300 people and lasted a little over an hour and a half.
Portuguese authorities said police officers “intercepted an individual who was fleeing the police” in the Alto neighborhood of Cova da Moura shortly before 6 a.m. Monday morning.
Police said that when officers “ approached the suspect, he resisted arrest and attempted to attack them with a weapon ”, adding that “ one of the police officers, having exhausted all other means and efforts “, used a gun and shot the suspect,” in circumstances which will be the subject of a criminal and disciplinary investigation “.
They also indicated that “ the suspect was quickly assisted at the scene and transported to São Francisco Xavier Hospital “, but that he died.
The police officers’ version was called into question by press reports. According to local media, the 20-year-old police officer, who killed Odair Moniz with two bullets, was indicted for homicide.
