Public Prosecutor Opens Criminal Inquiry into Police Conduct at Porto Protests

Portugal's Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público) has formally initiated a criminal inquiry into the conduct of PSP police officers during housing rights demonstrations in central Porto.

Judicial authorities confirmed that the investigation follows complaints regarding the use of physical force when demonstrators attempted to pitch tents in a central square.

Prosecutors have requested unedited surveillance footage and hospital records of injured participants to ascertain whether excessive force was deployed.

The PSP regional command maintains that officers acted within statutory mandates, while civil liberties groups demand transparent judicial accountability.