CDS, IL and Chega have already reacted to the episode of violence that caused several injuries in Martim Moniz, in Lisbon, on Sunday. Chega talks about “uncontrolled immigration” and says that it is essential that the police act more.
On Sunday, a caused at least seven injuries, at a time when immigration is one of the hot topics in political discourse. In reaction to what happened, right-wing parties argue that authorities should increase their presence on the streets.
On the SIC Notícias antenna, João Almeida, CDS-PP deputy, highlights that crime in Portugal, in 2023, increased “8.2% in reported crimes”, at the same time that human trafficking suffered an increase of “68%”, he notes before ensuring that the Labor exploitation on Portuguese soil increased by 158% in the same period.
“Crime was 158% lower than it was under the Socialist Party because there was a police that supervised and prevented immigrants from being exploited, obviously, not letting them in if they came to be exploited”, he says.
Speaking to SIC, liberal deputy Bernardo Blanco says that “the problem should not be ignored as the extreme left is doing” and also points the finger at the extreme right, which he accuses of not presenting concrete measures.
The Liberal Initiative deputy believes that problems like Sunday’s are related, in part, to the lack of “socio-economic and police conditions”:
“We have been fighting for more neighborhood policing and fewer police officers at police stations in administrative work and bureaucracy, often.”
He also states that the feeling of insecurity is “bigger than the problem itself”.
In turn, Pedro Pinto, parliamentary leader of Chega, argues that situations like the one seen in Martim Moniz “cannot be resolved with peace and love”, but “with police on the street”.
Before mentioning that “there is uncontrolled immigration in Portugal”, the Chega deputy guarantees that it is essential that the police act:
“To the people who commit crimes, to the people who get involved in these fights, because these are lives that can take another person’s life, yes, lean against the wall, no problem.”
At least seven people were injured on Sunday on Rua do Benformoso, in Lisbon, following “disorder” involving several foreigners, said a PSP source. At least three of the seven victims were assisted at the scene and taken to the Hospital de São José.
TAll those involved “appear to be in good shape” in national territory, guaranteed the Public Security Police.
