Thousands of people rallied in Lisbon, Porto and other Portuguese cities on Tuesday evening, hours after police dismantled protest camps and arrested a total of 55 demonstrators. The protesters vowed to continue their campaign against Portugal's deepening housing crisis, which has made buying or renting a home increasingly unaffordable. Organizers said more than 1,000 people gathered in each of the two main protest locations, although police did not provide crowd estimates.
In Lisbon's central Rossio square, demonstrators voted by a show of hands to re-establish their tent camp on Wednesday. Police launched coordinated operations in Lisbon and Porto shortly before 6 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, after warning protesters that their camps were illegal. Activists had occupied Lisbon's Rossio square since Saturday, setting up around 200 tents.
In Porto, protesters had camped in Dom Joao I square for about 10 days. Authorities seized 228 camping structures during the operation. In Porto, demonstrators dismantled their tents themselves after police threatened to intervene.
In Lisbon, officers cleared the square as protesters formed a human chain. Clashes subsequently broke out, according to footage broadcast by local television stations. Carla Valadao, a spokesperson for the Lisbon camp, described the operation as "very aggressive." However, Public Security Police superintendent Sergio Soares disputed that account, saying the eviction had been "calm, proportionate and appropriate, with no police charge." All 55 people arrested were later released pending a court appearance in Lisbon on Wednesday.
Portugal is struggling with one of Europe's worst housing affordability crises. Property purchase prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new leases have nearly doubled over the same period. The problem is particularly severe in major cities such as Lisbon and Porto, where residents have also protested against excessive tourism and an influx of so-called digital nomads.
Demonstrators accuse the center-right government of failing to address the crisis. They are demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases. The proposed legislation has already passed its first parliamentary reading.
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