PSP says there are 11 injured in police interventions in Lisbon and Porto

A PSP updated to 11 the number of injuries caused by police interventions during the early hours in Lisbon and Porto to remove the tents mounted by protesters by the right to housing.

In a communiqué sent to Lusa about 5:45 p.m., the Public Security Police (PSP) said to have known, so far, of five wounded in Lisbon and six in Porto. Among the there are three police officers and eight protesters.

A first review, released at 4:20, pointed to seven wounded, of which five in Lisbon and two in Porto. Among the wounded were three police officers and four protesters, “it should be noted that one of the policemen was injured by a canid of a protester in Lisbon,” PSP said.

The PSP also specified that it detained 31 people for disobedience, 25 in Lisbon and six in Porto, and they will all be heard by the competent judicial authority on Monday.

Police indicated that 171 tents were removed and seized camping structures by the Municipal Police, of which 117 in Lisbon and 54 in Porto.

“It should also be noted that, in Porto, an article on pyrotechnics (petard) was seized in the possession of one of the detainees, three cans of paint (refused to the police) and a package of pepper gas,” he added.

In the statement, PSP indicated that the police operation in Praça do Rossio, in Lisbon, and in Praça D. João I, in Porto, aimed to “replace legality in the occupation of public spaces”.

“ This police action took place following the maintenance of demonstrations over time, the occurrence of damage in public heritage, and the need to remove camp structures installed without the necessary legal authorization and under conditions contrary to applicable legislation ", specified.

In affirming that the demonstrations promoted by the Campada de Lisboa and Campada do Porto were communicated to the competent authorities, the police stressed that this “communication of the exercise of the right of demonstration does not dispense with compliance with the other legal provisions”, in particular regarding the “established time limits and the conditions of use and occupation of the public space”.

The police also said that they “developed all the steps” so that the protesters would withdraw the tents voluntarily, but “police intervention was necessary” given the “no compliance with the guidelines transmitted” in order to “replace legality and ensure regular use of public spaces”.

“PSP respects and guarantees the exercise of the constitutionally enshrined right of assembly and demonstration”, but the exercise of these rights must respect the “rights of other citizens”, he added.

Remembering that, on Saturday, demonstrations were held in several cities of the country, which “went within normal limits”, the PSP “blesss the civic and responsible way in which participants exercised these rights, until the occurrence in Praças D. João I, in Porto, and D. Pedro IV, in Lisbon”.