At least one teacher notified by the Ministry of Public Opinion to participate in the demonstration

At least one of the teachers who participated in the demonstration in Oeiras in January has been notified by the public ministry (MP) for questioning, teacher Margarida Moreira told Lusa on Wednesday.

In early February, teachers who had participated in “crowded marches and cordons” in the municipality of Oeiras in January were called to the PSP police station in Porto Salvo to testify about the crime of disobedience.

However, according to Margarida Moreira, then the police heard only one teacher, and the rest were contacted by security officers later, informing them that the application was canceled and the case was transferred to the deputy.

Margarida Moreira, who participated in the Jan. 16 teachers’ protest outside the Oeiras Chamber, was one such case, and last Tuesday she received a notice from an MP to be interrogated as a suspect on March 8 at 2 am. :00 pm, and must be accompanied by a lawyer.

The teacher told Lusa that she did not yet know of any other teacher who had been notified by the deputy and considered this situation “blatantly disproportionate” and “meaningless”.

In early February, the PSP justified calling the teachers to hear about the demonstration held in Oeiras by claiming it was not sanctioned by the municipality, but the Chamber at the time ensured that it was informed by the teachers.

In a statement released at the time, the PSP Lisbon Metropolitan Command said that on the morning of January 16, it discovered that the protest had not been communicated to the municipality of Oeiras and that the police had made a corresponding report. demonstration, established by the current legislation”.

The PSP claims that “the case was referred to the competent judicial authority, which, having received news of the facts, opened an investigation and referred it to the public security police.”

“After interrogation of one of the prosecutors, the PSP suggested that the prosecutor’s office return the submitted request to these services to continue its consideration, and the deputy decided to stop the investigation,” the police explained. .

In turn, the city council of Oeiras specified that “it was duly informed about the demonstrations of responsible teachers, as well as the concentration in front of the town hall, with the demonstrators even being received by the mayor.”

According to one of the teachers, the teachers called the PSP police station in Porto Salvo to testify about the crime of disobeying teachers in groups of schools in Conde de Oeiras, Aquilino Ribeiro and Joaquim de Barros.

Also on the “O Meu Quintal” blog, teacher Ana Martins reported at the time that she was called to the PSP in Porto Salvo because a deputy accused her of disobedience for organizing a strike day walk with other teachers in the Chamber of Oeiras .

The PSP statement also mentions that teachers from three groups of schools in the municipality of Oeiras reported by email to the police and the local council that three demonstrations would be held on January 16 in different places with a parade and a final concentration. together with the municipality of Oeiras.

“As we always do, contact was made with the relevant promoters prior to the demonstrations in order to ensure that the necessary security measures are in place to ensure that these demonstrations proceed as normal. On the morning of January 16, Monday, he discovered the realization of the fourth demonstration, which was not reported to the city council of Oeiras,” the PSP also specified.