“We had two / three outbreaks of gatherings near establishments and alcohol consumption on the public road, mostly in the Loures area, with more than 20 people, aged between 20 and 30 years,” said a source from the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of PSP (Cometlis).
According to the same source, the authorities were also alerted to an establishment in the municipality of Amadora that was operating beyond the time allowed by law, since the cafes now have to close at 20:00.
According to the same source, the most serious situation involved three agents who were beaten when they dispersed a group of people in Loures, during an inspection action at an establishment, a situation that resulted in two detainees.
The situation occurred during an inspection action in Prior Velho, in the municipality of Loures, district of Lisbon, he said.
According to the Cometlis source, the agents were surrounded, and it was “necessary to intervene in a firmer manner”, which led to the arrest of two people who will be brought to court today.
According to the same source, the authorities act according to the “proportionality principle”, explaining that when “people are more peaceful, dispersion is orderly and without problems, but sometimes the authorities have to be more firm, as was the case in Prior Velho, where the agents were surrounded ”.
19 parishes in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon (AML) are under active surveillance, corresponding to the totality of the municipalities of Odivelas (4) and Amadora (6), six in the municipality of Sintra, two in Loures and one in Lisbon.
The most restrictive measures approved by the Government for the AML due to the increase in cases of covid-19 came into force at 00:00 on Tuesday and those who disobey can incur a crime of disobedience, punished in the Penal Code with imprisonment for up to one year or 120 days of fine.
Thus, the Government again limited to a maximum of 10 people, unless they belong to the same family, “the access, circulation or permanence of people in spaces frequented by the public, as well as the concentrations of people on the public road” in AML and determined the closing at 20:00 of “all retail and service establishments, as well as those in commercial complexes” at AML.
The exception are restaurants “exclusively for the purpose of serving meals at the establishment” and also restaurants with a take-away or home delivery service, “which cannot provide alcoholic beverages in the context of this activity”.
The sale of alcoholic beverages is also prohibited “in service areas or at fuel filling stations” at AML, as well as its consumption on public roads.
AML is integrated by the municipalities of Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Lisbon, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira.
Three PSP agents attacked in Loures while dispersing a group of people
Three PSP agents were beaten on Friday night when they dispersed a group of people in Loures, during an inspection action at an establishment, a situation that resulted in two detainees, a police source told Lusa.
“The police elements went to the scene to disperse the crowd and inspect an establishment when they were injured, threatened and beaten”, explained a source from the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP (Cometlis).
The situation occurred during an inspection action in Prior Velho, in the municipality of Loures, district of Lisbon, he said.
The same source added that after the movement of a patrol car it was necessary to call police reinforcement, due to the crowd of people on the public road, next to the establishment.
“The elements were surrounded and it was necessary to intervene in a firmer way”, he stressed.
Two of the people in that group ended up in detention after the assaults occurred, the same source added.
The assaults resulted in three police officers who were injured “without serious injury” and who were assisted by firefighters at the scene, as well as the two detainees.
Cometlis explained that while traveling to the police station, the two detainees requested hospital treatment and were referred to the São José Hospital.
“One of them ended up feeling ill during the trip to the police station. The other, who had some abrasions, also decided to go to the hospital to receive treatment ”, where they were at 00:30, said the PSP.
(Article updated at 10:37 am)
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