The police (PSP) allegedly used batons, pepper spray, and kicks in an attempt to disperse a group from the Santa Clara Bridge, according to a communication representing some of the protest participants. The communication accuses the police of a disproportionate and unjustified use of force.
The altercation between the police and demonstrators led to five arrests—four women and one man, aged between 19 and 31. The confrontation began following a pro-Palestine demonstration initially slated for Praça 8 de Maio, which later moved to the Santa Clara Bridge.
In a statement, the police explained that they had to use “strictly necessary force to remove these people from the roadway to restore traffic flow” on the bridge over the Mondego river.
However, the group of protestors claimed in their statement that at around 9:00 PM, when at least 50 people were still blocking traffic, police officers and a rapid intervention team demanded dispersal and immediately resorted to violence.
According to the statement, the police allegedly used batons and pepper spray arbitrarily, echoing the detentions, they accuse.
Inês Morais, a medical student at the University of Coimbra and one of those detained, told the news agency that the police’s initial interaction with the group sitting on the bridge “was directly physical aggression.”
“We were sitting on the ground, and they started kicking our backs, pushing several people, and using pepper spray,” said the 22-year-old student, who at one point could not see due to the police’s spray.
She further described regaining some vision and witnessing a colleague being thrown to the ground. When blocked from aiding her, she inquired whether police had called emergency services for the injured.
“I insisted on the request until a police officer remarked, ‘You really want to go with them, don’t you? I was dying to grab you.’ He took me, slammed me against the van, then pushed me inside, started pushing me around, I tried to defend myself with my feet, he punched me on the head near the ear, and sprayed pepper spray on my face while inside the van,” she recounted.
After being taken to the station, Inês Morais was released around 1:00 AM. Today, she went to the National Institute of Legal Medicine along with other protestors who accused the police of assault to obtain forensic reports of their injuries.
“I intend to file a complaint. I came for the report to strengthen the complaint,” she stated.
When questioned about the police accusing protestors of insulting officers, Inês Morais said the insults were “on both sides.”
“The words directed at us by the officers were also not friendly,” she emphasized.
