Lisbon TV siege ends in surrender

Crowds had gathered by the time the drama ended

An armed man who burst into the headquarters of Portuguese state television in Lisbon has surrendered after a day-long siege.

The man, who identified himself as Manuel Subtil, was led away by police after backing away from a threat to detonate a bomb and kill himself.

The man's two daughters were freed after several hours

He gave media interviews during the siege, claiming he was staging the protest because a report 10 years ago on the television station, RTP, had forced his business into bankruptcy.

Mr Subtil had his wife and two daughters locked inside a toilet with him for most of the siege. He allowed the children to leave several hours after the drama began.

Using his mobile phone, he conducted negotiations with the police and gave the radio and television interviews, setting out his grievances against the television station.

Broadcasting by RTP continued through the siege.

I am tired of suffering... I want to die

Gunman during siege

The police said Mr Subtil had set a deadline of 1600 GMT for his demands to be met. Portuguese media, including RTP itself, reported that he had surrendered shortly before the deadline expired.

In the interviews he gave during the siege, Mr Subtil said he was angry at the RTP television station because it had broadcast a report on a French business he had owned, forcing it into bankruptcy.

Financially ruined

"We had a company in Paris 10 years ago, and they completely destroyed our lives," he said.

"I am tired of suffering... I want to die."

A court had ruled in his favour, he claimed, but its decision had not been carried out.

It is believed the television feature which sparked Mr Subtil's fury involved hidden cameras, used to film a report on a company he ran that helped Portuguese immigrants move to France. The report suggested that he falsified documents.

Police evacuated the television building during the siege and cordoned off the surrounding area, causing serious traffic jams in Lisbon city centre.