The leadership of the police in Portugal has instructed members of the force who have racist tattoos to remove the images or words from their bodies within the next six months. The Reuters agency reports that the measure is a response to criticisms of the actions of police recently there.
The ban is aimed against “symbols, words or drawings encouraging racism, extremism or violence,” the declaration by the police states. It also covers earrings, bracelets and rings with inappropriate symbols.
Police did not say how many officers the measure might affect. In 2018, the Council of Europe made many serious accusations of alleged police brutality motivated by racism in Portugal.
The number of complaints about the behavior of members of the police filed with the Antidiscrimination Commission in Portugal reportedly rose last year by 25 %. In August, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced there would be “zero tolerance” for racism and the authorities began official investigations after several people, including two Black MPs, were targeted by threatening e-mails allegedly sent by a group of right-wing extremists.
Last year, former football commentator André Ventura became the first ultra-right MP seated in Parliament in Portugal since the dictatorship ended there in 1974. He is currently running for President of the country.
