Follow our coverage of the protests on the streets of Lisbon here.
Chega called for a demonstration “in defense of the police” for Saturday, the same day as the protest marked by the Vida Justa movement to demand justice for the death of the man shot by the police on Monday, in Cova da Moura.
Speaking to journalists at the Republic Assembly, Chega’s president said that the the performance will start at 3pm at Praça do Município, in Lisbonto the Republic Assembly, the same place where the other protest ends.
This gathering, which will be led by André Ventura, “will be for the protection of the police, for the protection of the rule of law and for the protection of compliance with the rules of the rule of law”.
Also for Saturday, a demonstration is planned with the slogan “Without justice there is no peace”, between the square of Marquês de Pombal and the Assembly of the Republic, organized by the Vida Justa movement, the family and friends of Odair Moniz, the associations of Irish residents. the neighborhood of Zambujal, where the victim lived, and other neighborhoods in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
“We will try in collaboration with the authorities, over the next few hours, to make the necessary coordination so that the two routes do not cross and to ensure that the demonstrations will be peaceful”, said André Ventura.
When asked if this demonstration could be seen as provocative and lead to moments of tension, Chega’s president said that “there were other times when demonstrations took place on the same day, at the same time, in the city same, and had the ability to separate paths”.
The Chega leader refused to consider this a counter-demonstration, but said “those who criticize police action, those who apologize for the actions of this man“they cannot be the only ones asserting their position.
Ventura considered that Odair Moniz, the man who died, has been “whitewashed by force and abuse”.
“What some sectors of society are up to is a malicious attempt to attack the police, to diminish the police and to apologize for this kind of violence that is taking place”, he accused, expressing solidarity with the driver of the bus that was set on fire early this Thursday in Santo António dos Cavaleiros, in the municipality of Loures, who was injured and is in a serious condition.
Regarding statements by the head of Chega’s parliament, who said on Wednesday in a debate on RTP3, that if the security forces “succeeded in killing more, the country would be in better order”, Ventura insisted that it was Pedro Pinto meant that “the police cannot be. to shoot fear”.
The Chega leader argued that “there are times when it is necessary to shoot to kill”.
