PS wants “urgent explanations” from MAI on police intervention in Porto

O secretary-General of the PS today asked for “urgent explanations” from the Minister of Internal Administration on police intervention in demonstrations for housing in Porto, who considered proving “the failure” of the Government in this area.

In statements to journalists in Brussels, where he participated at the summit of the Party of European Socialists (ESS), José Luís Carneiro addressed “a word of solidarity to young people” and “the people who are injured”, including elements of the security forces, hoping that “they will quickly recover their health”.

The Secretary-General of the PS argued that, with regard to these demonstrations, it is necessary to “save two fundamental values: on the one hand, freedom of expression and, on the other hand, public order”.

“ It is necessary to evaluate and request urgent explanations from the Minister of Internal Affairs to see if the law has been applied with due proportionality. But it is necessary to wait for the explanations and additional information ", sustained.

Asked if he saw the images of the police load, José Luís Carneiro admitted that he did not, because he was busy with the work of the PSE summit, but reiterated that he will seek to know if “the intervention was done proportionally”.

“ Because the information I received is that there would have been a disproportionate intervention in the means and use of the means in relation to those young people”, he said, stating that it is “very important that those who seek to guarantee public order and the rule of law”, do so “in the context of respect for fundamental freedoms and rights”, including that of manifesting themselves.

“And surely the Minister of the Interior should be the first to explain the terms in which the intervention occurred,” he reiterated.

José Luís Carneiro also considered that the demonstrations for housing are “proof of the failure of the government’s housing policy”, which not only “failed in what he committed with regard to having public housing offer”, as he now makes “an incomprehensible alliance with Enough for a new rental law”.

“The government did not listen to us, but, as seen in the light of these recent events, this shows a serious failure of the government that, for example, instead of resolving the issue, brought a lace accelerator when it came to consider that moderate incomes are rents of EUR 2,300,” he criticized.

The movement for housing that has protested in Porto since Saturday denounced a police charge this morning that caused injuries in 37 of the participants, two of whom were in serious condition.

According to the movement, among the wounded is a disabled person and several participants in the concentration were hospitalized.

In reaction, the PSP claimed that “the meetings and demonstrations in public places cannot extend beyond 00:30” and that the protesters in Porto adopted “resistance behaviors”, which led to police action, causing “some injured people”.

The PSP said it was aware of injuries among the demonstrators, but adds that it is not yet “possible to indicate their number”.