Unrest in Lisbon after police shoot Black man

By Patricia Vicente Rua

Two nights of disturbances have shaken outskirts of the Portuguese capital Lisbon following the fatal police shooting of a Black man, with buses and rubbish set ablaze and stones hurled, according to authorities and TV images.

The unrest began in a multicultural neighbourhood of Lisbon's Amadora suburb after a 43-year-old man was shot dead by police in the early hours of Monday.

Media said about 30 people took to the streets on Monday night. It was unclear how many came out on the second night.

Three people have been detained, with two policemen and two others injured, authorities said. Riot police were deployed and firefighters put out a blaze.

According to a police statement, the shooting victim had fled and crashed a car after seeing a police vehicle. When officers approached, he tried to attack them with a blade, before being shot and dying in hospital, the statement added.

Speaking on local TV, some residents accused police of using excessive force. The SOS Racismo rights group said the man had joined a long list of Black people killed by police.

Police said they would investigate whether excessive force had been used, while Interior Minister Margarida Blasco said all efforts would be made to bring rioters to justice.