CDS criticizes government for not protecting police after broadcast of ‘cartoon’

The president of the CDS-PP criticized the home secretary this Sunday for not defending the honor of the police following the broadcast on RTP of an animated “cartoon” hinting at the police and racism.

In a Facebook post, Nuno Melo claims that “Police officers representing the state have been denigrated on public television as racists who shoot guns based on the color of their skin.”

In an animated “cartoon” called “Carreira de Tiro”, lasting about 50 seconds, we see a policeman in profile firing a pistol with increasing intensity, checking at the end that he has targets of different colors and that the darker they are, the they have more bullet holes.

The “doll” shown in the short animation wears a blue uniform, holster, and the letters “POL” written on the chest of the uniform are visible.

“How is it possible that the Minister of the Interior, who oversees the security forces, does not immediately speak to the public in order to defend the honor and good name of the PSP?” the president of the CDS asks.

Nuno Melo also asks “how is it customary that the Minister of Culture, having duties in relation to the RTP, does not assume obligations and does not require them from anyone.”

“This government needs an ethical bath,” he argued.

On Saturday, the SDP questioned the RTP board of directors about the same “cartoon”, saying it was “obvious and unfortunately a blow to the image and good name” of police agencies.

Also on Saturday, the PSP’s National Leadership Career Union (SNCC) announced that it had opened a criminal case against the authors of the “cartoon” as well as against the RTP for releasing it, given that “there is, unequivocally, the intent to denigrate all police officers by portraying them as xenophobic and racist.” “.

Lusa contacted illustrator André Carrillo, co-founder with João Paulo Cotrim of Spam Cartoon, responsible for the “cartoon” in question, felt the complaint “doesn’t make sense” because the “cartoon” “had nothing to do with the PSP or Portuguese reality.” “.

“We have been working at RTP since 2017, and the cartoon is always made in the context of national and international current events, in this case it is international. This is connected with an incident in France, the death of a young Frenchman. at the hands of the police, who later caused several riots throughout the country,” explained Andre Carrillo.

In turn, an official RTP source told Lusa that “Spam Cartoon is a free discussion of current national and international events that RTP has been holding since 2017,” sponsored by “some of the most famous Portuguese cartoonists.”

“Under no circumstances did this serve as an incitement to violence against anyone. The values ​​of freedom of speech and opinion are fundamental to the democracy and public service of the RTP,” the TV channel emphasized.