Disturbances in several areas of greater Lisbon after death of man shot by PSP
The disturbances that have been going on since Monday following the death of a man shot by the PSP have spread last night to several areas of Lisbon, namely Carnaxide (Oeiras), Casal de Cambra (Sintra) and Damaia (Amadora), a police source told Lusa.
“There are pockets of disorder in several areas of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area”, said the same source.
In the Portela neighbourhood, Carnaxide, shots were fired, some of which were fired by the PSP, which used rubber bullets and has already managed to enter the neighbourhood.
At this location, a bus was set on fire, in addition to several rubbish bins and a light vehicle, said a source from the PSP.
At 11:45 pm, new fires were reported in this neighbourhood, according to television images from the scene.
ATTACKS ON POLICE
PSP rapid response teams were stoned when they tried to enter the Cova da Moura neighbourhood in Amadora, according to SIC Notícias. The PSP says that all officers from the seven police stations in Amadora were mobilized, including those from special units.
In the municipality of Sintra, an object was thrown at the PSP police station in Casal de Cambra, without causing any damage, the source added.
In Damaia there were disturbances in several streets, including the throwing of firecrackers and stones on the public highway, as well as the setting of fires in several rubbish bins.
Earlier, at the beginning of the evening, a bus had been set on fire in the Zambujal neighbourhood, where riots took place for the second night.
In addition to policing in the Zambujal neighbourhood, the PSP reinforced its resources in several locations, specifically in the so-called Sensitive Urban Zones (Zus).
Also tonight, the PSP indicated, in a statement, that a person was arrested for possession of combustible material in the Zambujal neighborhood.
Group tries to set fire to gas station – On the road connecting Alfragide to Damaia, a group used a mattress to try to set fire to a gas station, according to SIC Notícias. PSP officers were able to immediately fight the fire using a fire extinguisher.
Incidents were also reported in other parts of the municipality of Lisbon. In Carnide and Campo de Ourique, rubbish bins were set on fire. In Loures, a car was set on fire.
POLICE STATEMENT
In a statement, the National Directorate of the PSP indicates that, after the disturbances that occurred during the early hours of the morning, following the death of a resident shot by the PSP in Cova da Moura, at the end of the afternoon “situations of disorder occurred again inside the Zambujal neighbourhood”, namely “a serious episode of urban violence”, with the theft of a Carris bus that was set on fire.
“Despite several efforts, it has not yet been possible to detect and intercept the suspects of this violent crime, although an arrest has already been made for possession of combustible material, which indicated its use to start a fire”, adds the PSP.
The SOS Racismo association and the Vida Justa movement disputed the police version of events and demanded a “serious and impartial” investigation to determine “all responsibilities”, considering that there is a “culture of impunity” in the police force. According to reports gathered in the neighbourhood by Vida Justa, what happened were “two shots fired at an unarmed worker”.
On Monday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs ordered the General Inspectorate of Internal Affairs to open an urgent investigation and the PSP also announced the opening of an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident. The officer who shot the man has since been named a defendant, a source from the Judicial Police indicated.
The Zambujal neighborhood is a social neighborhood that began to take shape in the 1970s. It is a multicultural neighborhood with around six thousand inhabitants.
About a third are of gypsy ethnicity. Another third are of African origin or ancestry. In recent years, South Americans and Asians have arrived.