Thousands march in Lisbon against racism and police violence after police shoot dead man

Thousands in Lisbon took part in a demonstration against police violence on Saturday after several nights of riots triggered by the death of a man shot and killed by police earlier this week. 

The demonstrators demanded justice for Odair Moniz, the Cape Verdean man shot by Portugal’s police force. 

Several flags from the Vida Justice movement, which organised the protest, as well as Cape Verde flooded Avenida da Liberdade. 

Protesters chanted the slogan “Justice for Odair” as they demonstrated. 

The right-wing Portuguese party Chega called for a protest in defence of the police at the same time in Lisbon. 

That protest brought together around 300 people and lasted just over an hour and a half. 

Portuguese authorities said police officers had “intercepted an individual who had been fleeing from the police” in the Alto neighbourhood of Cova da Moura shortly before 6 am on Monday morning.

The police said that when the officers “approached the suspect, he resisted arrest and tried to assault them with a weapon”, adding that “one of the police officers, having exhausted other means and efforts”, used a firearm and shot the suspect, “in circumstances to be investigated in a criminal and disciplinary enquiry”.

They also said that “the suspect was promptly assisted at the scene and transported to São Francisco Xavier Hospital,” but ended up dying.

In recent days, Portuguese police have reportedly recorded more than 100 incidents of public disturbances in Lisbon.  

Local media say they arrested more than 20 people and injured seven, one of whom was seriously hurt.