Livre asked the culture minister this Monday whether freedom of expression is guaranteed at the RTP after the interior minister contacted the board about a “cartoon” about police and racism.
“Given that the RTP is under the care of Your Excellency [ministro da Cultura] how do you ensure that there are no restrictions on independence, freedom of expression and artistic creativity on the RTP broadcast channels,” MP Rui Tavares asked in a request sent to the Minister of Culture, Pedro Adao e Silva.
In the document, the deputy of the Assembly of the Republic also raised the question of how the holder of the “Culture” portfolio can ensure that in the face of “attempts of political interference or public comments by the rulers”, freedom of expression and artistic creation will not be found. abuse restrictions and reserved.
“Cartoon” by Cristina Sampaio, co-creator of the Spam Cartoon collective, which airs on RTP weekly, is called Shooting Career and shows a policeman shooting at a target with increasing intensity.
At the end, targets are shown that have darkened due to the aggression of the police, which serves as a metaphor for the theme of racism in law enforcement agencies.
On Monday, Interior Minister José Luis Carneiro admitted that he had expressed his displeasure with the “cartoon” to the chairman of the board of directors of the RTP and assured that the Portuguese security forces would guarantee the principle of equality.
“On Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with the chairman of the board of directors of the RTP to express my dissatisfaction with the fact that a “cartoon” of this kind was shown at a festival in which so many thousands of young people take part,” he said. An official on the sidelines of a ceremony to present a prevention and safety plan at Matosinhos beach in the Porto area.
Recognizing the respect for freedom of speech, the minister emphasized, on the other hand, the need to draw the attention of the RTP leadership to “a sense of responsibility so that freedom of speech does not jeopardize the image and prestige of the institutions.”
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.