Odair Moniz, a resident of Bairro do Zambujal, was fatally shot by an officer of the Public Security Police (PSP) on October 21, while driving his car in the Cova da Moura neighborhood.
The circumstances surrounding the death of the 43-year-old Cape Verdean citizen remain unclear, with the findings from investigations by both the PSP and the Inspectorate-General of Internal Administration (IGAI) yet to be disclosed.
The organization Vida Justa accuses the police of “dehumanizing Odair, fabricating nonexistent facts about what happened that night, in an effort to justify the unjustifiable,” and criticizes the selection of the judge who will preside over the case—the same judge who oversaw the trial of Cláudia Simões, a black woman convicted of biting an officer who restrained her after she refused to identify herself following a public transport pass dispute involving her minor daughter.
To honor Odair Moniz under the motto “No justice, no peace,” Vida Justa plans to host the painting of a mural at 10:00 a.m. and a community lunch at 12:00 p.m. in Bairro do Zambujal.
At 2:30 p.m., participants will march from Cova da Moura to Bairro do Zambujal to demand “justice for Odair and all victims of police violence.”
This initiative—part of Vida Justa’s ongoing tour since March 15 across the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, which has already visited several neighborhoods in the municipalities of Almada (Setúbal district), Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Loures, Seixal, and Sintra (Lisbon district)—will culminate with a series of concerts starting at 4:00 p.m. in Bairro do Zambujal.
The Great March of the Neighborhoods will conclude on Sunday in Monte Abraão, in the municipality of Sintra, featuring sports and cultural activities.
The death of Odair Moniz sparked unrest, sometimes accompanied by disturbances, in various neighborhoods on the outskirts of Lisbon.
At the end of January, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) charged the PSP officer who shot Odair Moniz in Cova da Moura with homicide, a crime punishable by eight to sixteen years in prison.
According to the indictment, Odair Moniz attempted to flee and resisted arrest, but there was no threat involving a bladed weapon, contradicting the official PSP statement issued after the incident, which claimed the man had “resisted arrest” and tried to attack officers “using a bladed weapon.”
The organizations SOS Racismo and Vida Justa immediately contested the police account and demanded a “serious and impartial” investigation to establish accountability, citing “a culture of impunity” within the security forces.
In the indictment, the MP requested the suspension of the PSP officer as a coercive measure and also sought an additional penalty barring the exercise of his duties, applicable at sentencing. Currently, the 27-year-old officer is on sick leave with no set date for returning to work.
After the defendant’s legal team chose not to request further preliminary procedures, the case proceeded directly to trial, which is expected to take place at the Sintra Court.
In addition to the judicial process, disciplinary proceedings are underway within the PSP and IGAI, the latter requested by the Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco, to be treated with “urgency.”
On October 26 of last year, thousands of people marched down Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon in response to a demonstration organized by Vida Justa to honor Odair Moniz and denounce police violence.
