Portuguese police clear housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto

Early morning operations in two cities

Police in Portugal dismantled housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto in operations that began shortly after 2am on Sunday, according to The Guardian. Dozens of officers, some with dogs, cleared more than 100 tents in Lisbon's Rossio Square; police said a smaller camp of about 50 tents was taken down in Porto's Dom João I Square.

Police described the actions as proportionate and said people had earlier been urged to leave voluntarily. They reported 31 arrests for disobedience and 171 structures removed, and said 11 people were injured, including three police officers. Reuters reported that 25 people detained in Lisbon were released with orders to appear in court on Monday.

Disputed figures and political reaction

Casa Para Viver contested the police account, saying the raids left more than 20 people injured as officers moved in with batons, dogs and rubber bullets. The group called for further protests on Wednesday. Fabian Figueiredo, an MP with the Left Bloc, described the police action as a wound inflicted on the country's democracy and said the constitution protects both the right to a home and peaceful protest.

Housing costs and proposed legislation

The camps follow early October tent pitches in Porto that police cleared, with similar actions later in Lisbon. The Guardian reports that house prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017 and rents have nearly doubled, fuelling one of Europe's most acute affordability crises. Campaigners have urged the centre-right government to scrap proposed legislation, which recently passed a first parliamentary reading, that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases.