"The urgency is related to this demonstration that will take place on the 31st. As the behavior of the police has been, from our point of view, outside the law, we want to discuss [with the Minister of the Interior] the aspects of police action to avoid aggressions and more serious situations", said Filomeno Vieira Lopes.
Speaking to Lusa, the politician, who said he has not yet received any response to the letter sent on Wednesday to the office of the minister, Eugénio Laborinho, argued that he only wants the police to comply with the law.
According to the president of BD, the police are currently using weapons for combat and not to protect citizens, "to inhibit freedoms", and a dialogue with the authorities was necessary on the legal aspects related to police action.
"It is also the role of political parties to address the protection of fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, we have a duty to protect this freedom and if there is this interest we will talk to the Minister of the Interior because it is urgent," he said.
Angolan activists told Lusa, on August 19, that they were receiving threats for calling for a demonstration against the vandalism and national security laws, approved by parliament, considering that they contain "ambiguous norms that limit freedoms".
The demonstration called by the so-called "social movement" against the aforementioned laws, bringing together several civic and political associations, is scheduled for August 31, in Luanda, and, according to the organization, the capital's government has already been informed about the march.
Filomeno Vieira Lopes, who says he also directly sent a copy of the letter to the Minister of the Interior, asking for the hearing to take place before this Saturday, also lamented the threats "that are already taking place" against the activists.
"A demonstration is coming, we are already seeing a set of preventive attitudes in the air from a repressive point of view, such as threats, and we want this situation not to last", he highlighted, expressing his availability for dialogue.
"And then it's up to him [Minister of the Interior], because I don't know if the concept of urgency is the same," he said.
The demonstration "has been called, the police are informed, according to the record we have, it is not even our demonstration, but that of a civic movement group, but, as a political party, we took this approach to protect citizens", he concluded the leader of BD.
