“Numbers show degree of dissatisfaction”, say syndicates
Around 15,000 police agents from the PSP and GNR forces converged outside parliament in Lisbon yesterday for an ‘historic’ demonstration that went on into the night.
Police began arriving “from all corners of the country” in buses that had been laid on by their various syndicates during the afternoon.
The demo, scheduled for 5.30pm, “exceeded expectations”, admitted syndicate leaders – a number of police deciding to remain through the night, in support of those who have been sleeping on the pavement outside the Republican Assembly since these protests started earlier this month.
The impetus behind police discontent lies in the government’s decision to increase the ‘mission supplement’ of the PJ judicial police, without making equivalent changes to other forces, including prison guards.
President Marcelo warned of this iniquity when it was decided; police hierarchies have always said they support the ‘cause’ but want their agents to ‘respect the law’.
By law in Portugal, police cannot go on strike; they cannot demonstrate wearing uniform. But yesterday, they turned up in such force that absences from posts throughout the country will have been inevitable.
Raising mobile phones in ‘torch mode’ above their heads, the crowd sang the national anthem three times, as well as chanted the popular slogan used in all demos to the effect that ‘people united will never be defeated’. In this case, it was “police united will never be defeated”.
This latest demo (there will be another in Porto next week) was called by the platform of syndicate representing the two police forces.
Said Paulo Santos, president of ASPP/PSP, the syndicate of PSP professionals: “We had high expectations but what happened today is demonstrative of the level of dissatisfaction that exists in the security forces”.
He told Lusa that he had personally alerted the minister in charge of police (José Luís Carneiro, minister of interior administration) to the “state of spirit” among police. He had done so “several times”, he insisted – but still the government has done nothing to repair this latest damage, which has been so widely acknowledged as completely unfair.
Santos added that these protests will not stop until “a concrete and effective answer” is given to the principal demand: parity with the PJ (a force whose leader has already said he fully understands the wider police position, and supports it).
According to tabloid Correio da Manhã, today will see a meeting between the various syndicates and political parties. Bruno Pereira, president of the national syndicate of police officers explains: “The meeting is happening at our request to clear up this question (over the government’s lack of action). The argument that the government is in caretaker mode (and therefore unable to extend mission supplements across the board) is unacceptable”, he said.
It has to be remembered that this government has prided itself on ‘good housekeeping’, and an eye watering (over €6 billion) budgetary surplus. In other words, it cannot plead poverty.
