A video of a security guard punching a man, seemingly gratuitously, during the BPM electronic music festival in Portimão has led to a wave of outrage on social media and forced a public statement from private security company PSG.
The incident happened on Portimão’s marina beach near the NoSoloÁgua beach club, one of the venues of the festival held in Portimão and Lagoa between September 14 and 17.
Footage shows a man raising his hands jollily to the sound of the music near the security guard, who without warning punches him in the face.
The partygoer falls to the ground holding his face, while other security guards try to disperse the crowd.
Circumstances behind the incident are unknown, but most of those who saw the video on social media agree the attack was “unnecessary and excessive”.
National tabloid Correio da Manhã adds that an MMA fighter and a former security guard for football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was also involved in the row and is filmed escorting another man off the beach with his arm behind his back.
PSG, the company that was responsible for security during the event, has condemned the “violent behaviour” of its employee and said it would open an “internal inquiry and disciplinary process”.
M.B.
