“Contrary to what some proclaim, we know that the GNR and the Public Security Police are not, I repeat, not racist or xenophobic,” said Margarida Blasco.

The Minister of Internal Administration, who spoke in Castelo de Vide, at the ceremony commemorating the 16th anniversary of the GNR's Portalegre Territorial Command, alluded to the recent episodes of violence that occurred in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, following the death of Odair Moniz by a PSP agent.

“Without prejudice to the investigations under investigation and their conclusions, the episodes of violence last week, in the Lisbon metropolitan area, illustrate well the irreplaceable role of our GNR and our Public Security Police agents”, he said.

“The Government and I know that the working environment of security forces is highly demanding and complex, we know that their public scrutiny is necessary and legitimate,” she added.

For the governor, the PSP and GNR “do not act” in response to origin, sex, skin colour, creed, religion or any other condition.

The Government is meeting with several associations representing communities in the Lisbon area “to discuss”, a meeting that follows the incidents that followed the death of Odair Moniz, shot by a PSP agent last week in Cova da Moura, in Amadora.

The meeting called by the government will bring together the ministers of the Presidency, Internal Administration and Youth and Modernization, as well as leaders of the police (GNR and PSP), the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth and the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum.

Questioned by journalists in relation to this meeting, Margarida Blasco hopes that it will be a meeting marked by “an open conversation”, where, “carefully”, she will listen to the proposals that the associations will present.

The Minister of Internal Administration also highlighted the role of journalists, but mainly of the security forces, in responding to the incidents that occurred in the Lisbon area, after the death of Odair Moniz.

“The media is very important, it is very important to see the work they (security forces) did during those nights of violence, disorder, vandalism, let us also remember the bus driver who was seriously injured”.