Police dismantle housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto, arrest 31

Police in Portugal have dismantled housing protest camps in the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto in an early-morning operation on Sunday, baton-charging campaigners and arresting 31 people across the two cities.

Dozens of officers, some with dogs, moved shortly after 2am to clear more than 100 tents that had sprung up in Lisbon’s Rossio Square. A smaller camp of about 50 tents in Porto’s Dom João I Square was also taken down.

Police described the operation as proportionate and said people had earlier been urged to leave the camps voluntarily. They said 31 people were arrested for disobedience, 171 structures were removed across the two cities, and 11 people were injured, including three police officers.

Reuters reported that the 25 people detained in Lisbon were released with orders to appear in court on Monday.

The campaign group Casa Para Viver (A Home to Live In) contested the police figures, saying the real number of injured was far higher than officially reported. In a statement, the group said choosing the early morning to deploy police dogs and fire rubber bullets at people who were sleeping or peacefully protesting was a political decision, showing that the government would rather crack down on those who speak out against the housing crisis than solve the crisis itself. The group called for further protests.

Fabian Figueiredo, an MP with the Left Bloc, described the police action as a wound inflicted on the country’s democracy, saying on social media that fighting for a home is a right, as is peaceful protest, and that the constitution guarantees both.

The camps trace back to early October, when campaigners began pitching tents in Porto, inspired by similar camps in Spain. The Lisbon camp was set up after thousands of people marched along one of the capital’s main avenues on Saturday to protest against housing prices. Police and campaigners have clashed repeatedly in recent days, with dozens of earlier arrests and reports of injuries.

House prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017, while rents on new leases have nearly doubled. According to the Bank of Portugal, there is a shortfall of about 300,000 homes nationwide, equivalent to Lisbon’s entire housing stock.

Campaigners are demanding that the government scrap proposed legislation that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases; the bill recently passed a first parliamentary reading. In neighbouring Spain, the housing camp in central Madrid has entered its fourth week amid a wider protest movement over home shortages and surging rents.