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 Assembly of the Republic, the president of Chega said that the demonstration will start at 3pm from Praça do Município, in Lisbon, to the Assembly of the Republic, the same place where the other protest will end.
This concentration, which André Ventura will lead, will be “in defense of the police, in defense of the rule of law and in defense of compliance with the rules of the rule of law”.
Also for Saturday, a demonstration is planned with the motto “Without justice there is no peace”, between Marquês de Pombal square and the Assembly of the Republic, organized by the Vida Justa movement, family and friends of Odair Moniz, associations of residents of the neighborhood of Zambujal, where the victim lived, and other neighborhoods in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
“We will seek with the authorities, over the next few hours, to make the necessary coordination so that the two paths do not cross and to guarantee that the demonstrations will be peaceful”, indicated André Ventura.
Asked whether this demonstration could be seen as provocative and lead to moments of tension, the president of Chega maintained that “there have been other times when there were demonstrations on the same day, at the same time, in the same city, and there was the ability to make the separation of paths”.
The leader of Chega refused to consider this to be a counter-demonstration, but stated that “those who condemn police actions, those who excuse this man’s actions”, cannot be the only ones asserting their position.
Ventura considered that there is “a forced and abused whitewashing” of Odair Moniz, the man who died.
“What is taking place by some sectors of society is a vile attempt to attack the police, to belittle the police and to excuse this type of violence that is ongoing”, he accused, expressing solidarity with the driver of the bus set on fire this morning in Santo António dos Cavaleiros, in the municipality of Loures, who was injured and is in serious condition.
Regarding statements by Chega’s parliamentary leader, who on Wednesday said in a debate on RTP3 that if the security forces “shot more to kill, the country would be in better order”, Ventura maintained that what Pedro Pinto meant was that “the police cannot be afraid to shoot.”
The leader of Chega argued that “there are moments when it is necessary to shoot to kill”.
