Thousands of PSP and PNP members expected to demonstrate in Lisbon this Wednesday

Thousands of PSP police officers and GNR soldiers from all over the country are expected to demonstrate this Wednesday in Lisbon for better pay conditions, demanding an increase identical to that allocated to the judicial police.

PSP police and GNR soldiers have been protesting throughout the country for more than two weeks, but this Wednesday’s demonstration, which will take place from 17:30 between Largo do Carmo and the Assembly of the Republic, aims to attract more attention to the action. organized by the platform of police unions and guards associations.

According to a platform made up of seven public security police unions and four National Republican Guard associations created to demand a review of security force pay allowances, this Wednesday’s demonstration follows a “fight for the dignity of the PSP career.” and GNR, which, according to trade unions and associations, were ignored by the government, and the “final blow” was the secondary role of PSP and GNR in appropriating a complement to the PJ mission.”

The president of the Association of Police Unions (ASPP/PSP), one of the platform’s unions, told Lusa that there would be a large turnout for the demonstration, which would be “very demonstrative of the state of police resentment.” “.

“From the top of the stairs [em 2013 os polícias invadiram as escadas do parlamento] I don’t remember the mobilization being so visible,” said Paulo Santos, estimating the participation of more than 10,000 police at this Wednesday’s demonstration.

The President of the Association of Professional Security Guards (APG/GNR) also told Lusa that “this may be the largest mobilization demonstration that has ever taken place.”

“I don’t know the number of buses. In the ladder demonstration there were about 10 thousand (participants), and in the next one about 17 thousand. But this one, at least due to the mobilization of buses, is stronger,” said Cesar Walnut.

The President of APG, who also belongs to the platform, emphasized that the demonstration aims to demand that the addition attributed to PJ be applied to PSP and GNR.

“If this doesn’t happen, the protests won’t stop,” he said.

The protests began at the initiative of a PSP agent in front of the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon and are increasingly mobilizing PSP and GNR elements throughout the country, with initiatives organized through social networks such as Facebook and Telegram.

PSP officers will also be present at the demonstration through the National Union of Police (SNOP), which is part of the platform, in an unprecedented situation.

The demonstration must also include members of the close guard who have a status equivalent to a PSP and also require a risk premium identical to that of a PJ.