'A house cannot be a privilege': thousands rally in Lisbon over the housing crisis

Thousands of people gathered in Rossio Square in Lisbon to demand affordable housing. Holding signs reading 'a house cannot be a privilege', protesters voiced their anger over Portugal's housing crisis.

The demonstrators chanted, lit flares and held up keys and placards. Similar demonstrations also took place in other Portuguese cities, according to reports.

Earlier in the day, police forcibly cleared a camp that demonstrators had set up in the square. The crowd then called a new gathering, and many returned to the square that evening.

At a public assembly, the protesters voted to return the next day and pitch their tents again. In other words, despite the police clearance, the movement is not stopping; it is reorganising instead.

At the centre of the protesters' objections are recent government plans. They oppose proposals to ease the cap on yearly rent rises and to make it easier to evict tenants who fail to pay their rent.

The prime minister says the changes will build trust between landlords and renters. Critics, however, say the steps leave tenants more exposed.

As in many large European cities, campaigners in Lisbon say rents and house prices have moved beyond the reach of ordinary people in recent years. That frustration has now spilled onto the streets.

With protesters vowing to return with their tents the next day, Lisbon's housing debate is far from over. Attention will now be on whether the government presses ahead with the proposed changes, and whether any understanding is reached with the demonstrators.