(dr) Nuno Saraiva / Public Enemy
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The PSP announced this Friday that it will file a complaint against the newspaper Público for publishing, in the supplement Inimigo Público, a cartoon with a figure dressed in uniform, “apparently related to an action with a political connotation” at the headquarters of SOS Racismo.
In a statement, the Public Security Police considers that the facts “offend the credibility, prestige and trust owed to the institution, substantiating the practice of crime” and that it will still present a complaint to the Public Ministry today.
According to the PSP, Nuno Saraiva’s cartoon is apparently related with an action with connotation politics, which took place last Saturday, in front of the headquarters of the organization SOS Racismo, in Lisbon, and associates “explicitly” the police “with any political-ideological movement”.
The cartoon by Nuno Saraiva on the cover of this Friday’s edition of Inimigo Público, satirical supplement by PúblicoMais at https://inimigo.publico.pt
published by Public in Thursday, August 13, 2020
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This connotation, the note adds, affects “publicly the exemption and non-partisanship that characterize the institution, resulting not only from statutory obligation and police condition, but also from the conviction of the policemen”.
A PSP “regrets the levity with which the newspaper and cartoon in question hurt the good image of the institution and the policemen who serve and protect our fellow citizens ”and recalls that the 2020/2022 Strategy contemplates the“ exemption and rejection of any form of extremism and discrimination ”as a value and a fundamental ethical pillar.
In addition to appearing in the paper version, the cartoon was published on the morning’s social networks.
Reacting to the PSP announcement, illustrator Nuno Saraiva considered it criminal to pay attention against freedom of expression and he was “concerned” with the direction of the country.
“It is criminal to think that this is a crime, that a creative, a journalist, an ‘opinion maker’, a cartoonist cannot be entitled to his freedom of expression,” said Nuno Saraiva, in statements to the Lusa agency.
Stressing that he is not even a fan of “more eschatological and highly offensive” cartoons, like those of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, the Portuguese illustrator considers that this is even “A very peaceful cartoon”.
For this very reason, it judges “absolutely exaggerated and meaningless for a criminal complaint”.
As for this possibility, Nuno Saraiva makes it clear that he is not at all concerned with himself, but with “the path that the country is following”. “It seems that we are taking a turn for more than 40 years, that is what concerns me. And institutional silence worries me too, ”he said, considering that he has recently felt that“ everything is very heavy and weird ”, a situation that, confesses, the “scares”.
In turn, the director of the Public Enemy, Luís Pedro Nunes, expressed himself this Friday “perplexed” with the intention of the PSP to file a complaint against the Public due to a cartoon that includes a figure dressed in uniform.
“I am still perplexed“, Started by saying Luís Pedro Nunes to Lusa.
“I am amazed, in a week that was one of the most complex in recent times in terms of issues related to racism, threats to deputies, statements by the various sectors of Portuguese society, the PSP’s national management found time to apparently process a cartoon do Enimigo Público on Friday, ”he said.
“I’m director of Public Enemy since 2004, we do this weekly, thousands of cartoons, we were never sued“, Stressed Luís Pedro Nunes.
“I find it a little strange, especially since this started in the morning with a demand from the Zero Movement for the national leadership to do something,” he added.
“When a society that has mediated problems in terms of social issues, he goes after cartoons or turns against cartoons, we already know that this is a symptom of something that is really bad ”, he continued.
“Cartoonists, lately, have been the first victims that anything is wrong in society”, he considered. In addition, with regard to the published cartoon, “it cannot even be said that [aquele] it is what is being accused ”, he stressed.
“We are talking about a satirical newspaper“, Emphasized the director of the Public Enemy.
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