Hundreds protest in Lisbon over police officer's suspended sentence in Odair Moniz killing

Hundreds of people marched through downtown Lisbon on Saturday to protest a suspended sentence given to the police officer who killed Odair Moniz in October 2024. The Vida Justa movement organized the demonstration under the slogan "Without justice, there is no peace," aiming to draw attention to what they call the "structural racism" within the justice system.

Participants chanted slogans like "Police violence is a colonial inheritance" as they marched through the warm evening. Signs and banners read "Justice for Odair Moniz," "Without justice, there is no peace," and "Black lives matter."

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An unarmed person is shot, and it is said [in the sentence] that it was self-defense. The memory of Odair Moniz was betrayed by justice.

Flávio Almada, an activist with Vida Justa, criticized the verdict, stating, "An unarmed person is shot, and it is said [in the sentence] that it was self-defense." He felt that "the memory of Odair Moniz was betrayed by justice." Almada also noted that the protest aimed to raise awareness about other individuals killed by police under similar circumstances.

Almada pointed to the 2009 death of a 14-year-old, which the justice system deemed "an unfortunate event" to absolve the officer involved. He also criticized a new law creating social impact zones as a sign of "criminalization of poverty and immigration, repression, and the authoritarian drift we are witnessing."

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I started thinking about how little our lives are worth and how we are not respected.

Berenice, 23, joined the protest feeling a complex mix of emotions. As a Cape Verdean, she celebrated her country's World Cup win against Spain earlier in the week, only to be saddened by the court's decision. "I started thinking about how little our lives are worth and how we are not respected," she said.

Francisco, 40, called the sentence "tremendously unjust" and expressed his belief that authorities must set an example, acknowledging that good professionals exist within the PSP (Public Security Police). The Tribunal of Sintra had sentenced PSP agent Bruno Pinto to three years and six months, suspended, for the killing of Odair Moniz, 43. The court also ruled that Pinto could continue his profession. The Public Prosecutor's Office, which sought a conviction and suspension for Pinto, has stated it will appeal the decision.

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It is tremendously unjust. That is why I am here, to ask for justice. The authorities must set an example. I believe there are good professionals in the PSP, but everyone must set an example.