Portuguese Police

[tonicha]

Not sure if any of you have seen it, and I know I won't be able to get the link on here - well, maybe, but there was a horrific attack, by one of our police forces, against a father, grandfather and grandson, at a football match.

We have truncheons, as you do in England, but these are wooden. This bloke used a metal baton, which are not supposed to be used for football matches ( we actually have quite strict rules over here, left over from Salazar) and the tv and media have been going bonkers about it.

But in saying that, the "fans" looted the shop, taking just about everything, including shelving and totally wrecked the place. The father in question had taken his son out of the arena earlier, but this bloke just laid into him. because of a query - apparently.

Turns out the policeman in question has been under investigation before, because of his strong arm tactics.

I know the police forces here are very different to England, but they have always (apart from one) been the most polite men we've ever met. Our neighbour is very high up in the local (Faro) police force and always, but always puts his hand up to salute us, when he passes our house, or sees us.

[victor]

always be a bad apple Ton,

we have just had an incident here where a 26yr local arrived back from abroad to have a holiday /see family

unfortunately he had a few beers on the plane and then was mouthy to police at the airport,got a heavy going over and may require surgery to an arm

but as you say there are strict rules and they are enforced rigorously ,maybe unlike UK--maybe don't lean towards the P.C thinking----on the other hand you know the streets are safe to walk

[TheOstrich]

always be a bad apple Ton,

I think Vic's summed it up very well. Don't forget, we had the killing of the news-paper vendor Ian Tomlinson by the riot police in London not so long back ...... another person in the wrong place at the wrong time ....

The incident has been reported over here, Ton; the DM article is below but I think it's also been in either the Telegraph or the Guardian as well.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tugal.html

[cromwell]

Yes, there will always be one who thinks he has the right to batter somebody.

Salazar is a fascinating figure from the little I know of him, Ton. A dictator, but one who didn't fill his pockets with his country's money, which is a rare thing. When he died he was alleged to have owned two suits, virtually the clothes on his back and that was it. The state owned his small house and he never owned a car, let alone a fleet of Mercs!

[pederito1]

Police brutality seems to be on the rise everywhere, eg America, they are not much different here . We do have an "Independent Police Complaints" thingy but that is a sick joke with pre-recorded verdicts. I wonder how many people they have killed over a period compared with criminal killings? Including of course "Tom and Jerry" car chases of kid joy riders resulting in their deaths.
Incidentally Ton and a bit off topic, I hope you do not have anything to do with the banco Espiritu Santo?

[Workingman]

Ton, Sky news carried the video.

It shows the family talking to two policemen. Suddenly one of the cops attacks the father and then turns and punches the grandfather; he and the elder boy are then pushed away by other cops. The youngest lad is removed from the scene by a cop with a riot shield and it is clear the lad has wet himself. The last shots are of the dad being beaten to the ground, handcuffed, and then marched away.

The cops in the video are thugs, plain and simple.

[Kaz]

Agreed Frank

[tonicha]

A lot of our friends are still wishing for Salazar to come back. yes, he was a dictator, but obviously, a "good" one, if that isn't a contradiction in terms.

the communist party are very strong here too - also a "good" one, again, a conradiction in terms, but some of our friends and neighbours are quite vocal and staunch in their beliefs, but also want all the good things for everyone, as well as themselves

Ped, the only good thing our solictor told us, when we bought our house, was to use Millennium bank, which we still do

[Aggers]

A lot of our friends are still wishing for Salazar to come back. yes, he was a dictator, but obviously, a "good" one, if that isn't a contradiction in terms.

No, it isn't, Ton.
I've often thought that IFwe could get the right person, a Dictator would be far better for this
country (GB) than the politicians we have to tolerate, and this system called Democracy, which
just isn't working.

[victor]

we have been with BES bank since we came here -automatically moved into NOVO BANCO when BES crashed, it was only the investment side of the bank which went wrong