On Saturday night into Sunday, PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública, Portugal’s public security police) forcibly cleared tents belonging to housing crisis protesters in Lisbon’s Rossio Square and Porto’s D. João I Square. The operations took place simultaneously in both cities and lasted around ten minutes. It was the second overnight camp clearance in a week.
According to police, 31 people were arrested, including 25 in Lisbon. Seven people were injured: four civilians and three police officers. Organisers give different figures, reporting 39 injuries and seven arrests. Those detained are accused of disobeying police orders and are due to appear before judicial authorities on Monday.
March and ultimatum
On Saturday afternoon, the Acampada de Lisboa movement (acampada means “encampment”) held a march under the slogan “We have no home, so we’re pitching tents.” The procession went from Marquês de Pombal Square down Avenida da Liberdade to Rossio. Organisers estimated that 25,000 people took part. Protests were also held in other cities. Thousands gathered at D. João I Square in Porto, while around 200 people turned out in Coimbra.
Protesters are calling for rent caps, a ban on investment funds buying up residential property, and the repeal of a new rental law they have dubbed the “evictions law”.
After the march, tents went up again in Rossio. The police had warned earlier in the day that they would not allow the encampment to remain overnight. According to the PSP, permission for the demonstration ran until 12:30 am. People could stay in the square after that, but the tents had to go. By around 10 pm, there were 130 tents in Rossio, with approximately 300 people planning to spend the night there.
The crackdown
For almost three hours, police issued repeated “final warnings”. The protesters refused to leave and formed a human chain around the tents. At around 2 am, a riot police unit moved in with shields and batons. DN journalists witnessed people with injuries, including head wounds. According to activists, police used stun guns and fired shotguns. The PSP has not commented on these allegations.
After the camp was cleared, some protesters scattered through Baixa, Lisbon’s historic downtown. Bins were overturned and café terraces damaged on Rua Augusta and Rua do Ouro. At Terreiro do Paço, a group threw metal chairs at police officers; at Praça da Figueira, people threw stones and bottles. Police patrolled the city centre until morning to prevent protesters from regrouping.
Second camp clearance in a week
The previous clearances in Rossio and Porto took place early on Tuesday, October 20. More than 200 tents were removed, and 55 people were arrested. Their cases will be heard in court.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas backed the police at the time. He called the protesters’ demands legitimate but condemned vandalism. Two days later, activists reached a compromise with the police: they took down their tents and spent the night in the square in sleeping bags.
Left-wing opposition politicians accuse the government of escalating the situation. Fabian Figueiredo, the Left Bloc’s sole MP, who was at Rossio during the night, called on Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to instruct the police to stop breaking up the protests.
