Portugal police brutality caught on film

An amateur video has emerged of Portugal's police officers brutally beating a peaceful protester during a strike against the government's austerity measures, Press TV reports.

The footage shows group of Public Security Police (PSP) dressed as civilians beating an unarmed young man during the one day strike that paralyzed Portugal on last Thursday, Press TV correspondent reported on Monday.

The video has quickly made its way to mainstream websites and TV channels, sparking controversy. Some opposition members and social platforms demanded an investigation.

"We can't rely too much of investigation of this scenarios because it's going to be investigated by the police themselves." member of the October 15 social platform, Joao Camargo said.

"We know and it's public now that the police are lying and are using illegal tactics to try and criminalize the strikes, unions and the social movement" Camargo added.

Portugal is the third country to succumb to financial troubles in the euro zone debt crisis and seek funding assistance after Greece and Ireland.

The country must meet EU conditions for a 78-billion-euro bailout to rescue it from its worst economic crisis in decades.

In the drive to cut debt, the unpopular economic reforms include spending cuts from health services to salaries to public television, and changes to labor laws. The suggestion of these measures has sparked nationwide strikes in Portugal.