The NGO Amnesty International has accused the Portuguese security forces of using "excessive" and "disproportionate" force in the eviction of the encampments for the right to housing in Oporto and Lisbon, an action that left nearly 40 people injured and thirteen protesters detained.
The group states that it is "deeply concerned to see, once again, that the Portuguese State responds with excessive force to people who demonstrate peacefully, causing more injuries in Lisbon and Oporto" and warns of the impact of this response on the exercise of fundamental rights.
The organization has pointed out that the Police intervention caused "physical damage and hospitalizations" and underscores that this type of operation "is a choice", so that "the authorities can and must stop it", in the words of the executive director of Amnesty International Portugal, João Godinho Martins.
Given this situation, Amnesty has once again deployed observers on the ground to document police behavior during the evictions. "We are going to urgently contact the Minister of Internal Administration with the information we have on human rights violations and urge the immediate adoption of the necessary measures to guarantee that the right to demonstrate is respected and facilitated," Martins explained.
The NGO has also urged Portuguese institutions to "respond to concerns regarding economic and social rights" linked to the housing crisis that is at the origin of these protests. "The Government must guarantee that the right to demonstrate is protected," the Amnesty representative in the country concluded.