MAI considers that “small fringe” calls into question “compliance with the law”

O minister of Internal Administration today considered that “a small fringe” of demonstrators is questioning compliance with the law by commenting on the advance of PSP in the camps in Lisbon and Porto by the right to housing.

“ It is absolutely good that there is the ability of citizens to manifest themselves, making known what their demands are, their desires for justice (...). It follows, however, that a small fringe of demonstrators has repeatedly called into question compliance with the law,” said Luís Neves, defending that “this is what is at stake here.”.

The governor spoke to journalists in the Marinha Grande (Leiria), where he presided the commemorative session of the anniversary of the local volunteer firefighters.

Virtually at the same time, from 04:30 today, the Public Security Police (PSP) advanced on the protesters concentrated in the camps in Lisbon and Porto to demobilize, removing tents and detaining 13 people, with several wounded, including police.

In Lisbon, just minutes after the start of the police load of PSP, with petards and batonadas, Praça D. Pedro V was empty. The protesters were kicked out by the various accesses to Rossio.

In Porto, PSP destroyed the camp set up in Praça D. João I. The protesters resisted, shouting that their action was peaceful as the police force advanced, using batons and dogs, pushing them to Dr. Magellan Street Lemos.

Luís Neves said that “no one is satisfied” with the images of the PSP’s action on protesters, took sadness at these occurrences and ensured the government’s willingness to listen to society.

“ No one is satisfied with these images, there is a sadness about this kind of facts, these occurrences”, he acknowledged.

The ruler stressed that “in the past until recently and in the context of these same demonstrations, in Porto, there were times when the protesters themselves raised the tents they had previously placed”.

“ In these days there has been, in an absolutely unprecedented way, by the police authorities, the Public Security Police, an articulation, requests even in a very quiet, time-consuming way, that the tents cannot remain as they are assembled ", he said, and therefore, "before the law is violated, there is a need to return to public order".

Asked whether violence was necessary to restore public order, the ruler maintained that “there were times when people allowed the work of the authorities to be done and there are other times when this has not been possible.”.

“There is indeed even confrontation of those who must comply with the law with the authorities of the State. What is at stake is the sovereignty of the state, what is at stake is compliance with the law,” he said, recalling that it is in parliament that “all legislation on rights, freedoms and guarantees is passed” and “it is not a popular assembly that will replace the people”.

“ For this reason, it is not only a small part that calls into question compliance with the law that will distort this whole democratic framework,” he said, admitting that “in principle there should not be a more muscular police action”, but “there can be no blockages to what the state’s firmness is.”.

The minister protecting security forces said that the government “has been and is very available to listen to all civil society, all proposals that meet solutions that meet these demands”.

“ The Secretary of State for Housing is, I repeat, in a global way, fully available to the Government to, in an organized way, listen, listen, reflect together with civil society that ideas can come that contribute to this scourge, which is the lack of housing,” she said.

“ It is the people who have to request this meeting,” he said.

To the question about who gave the order for the intervention in both cities, Luís Neves replied that “badly it was that in a country there had to be a political decision for a police to comply with the law”, clarifying that the PSP “has technical, tactical, operational autonomy to enforce the law”.

The minister also expressed to the PSP “total confidence in its action”, and wished “a rapid restoration of the injured police and also of the demonstrators who were in the same circumstance”.

[News updated at 2:04 p.m.]