LISBON: Thousands took to Lisbon’s streets on Saturday to protest against police use of force and racism, following a week of unrest sparked by the shooting of a black man by officers.

Chanting “No peace without justice” and “Police violence, colonial heritage”, the demonstrators marched peacefully on the Portuguese capital’s central avenue, brandishing placards with messages including “Racism kills” and “Black lives matter”. Urban violence is rare in Portugal.

But in the last week several down-at-heel neighbourhoods with large immigrant communities have seen clashes following the killing on Sunday night of a 43-year-old man from Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony in Africa.

Police said that Odair Moniz was shot dead while trying to escape after attacking officers with a knife. That account has since been called into question by several reports in the press. The 20-year-old police officer who shot Moniz — twice — has since been charged with manslaughter, Portuguese media reported.

“Odair was a good father, someone who was appreciated by his whole community,” Luis Gomes, a 30-year-old at the protest who lives in the same neighbourhood as Moniz said.

“We don’t judge people by the colour of their skin. I know it’s not easy for the police, but they need to be better prepared. No one has the right to kill anyone,” added Gomez, who works as a private security guard.

Jose Rosa, a 58-year-old from Cape Verde who has lived in Portugal since childhood, said he was “saddened by all this”. “This is not the first time one of our young people has been killed and there is no justice,” he said, while adding that he regretted the past week’s violence.

Portugal’s far-right Chega party, which made fresh gains in March’s parliamentary elections, had called for a counter-demonstration in solidarity with the police for Saturday. That drew a crowd of around 200, according to the media.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024