Around 40 officers from the PSP police special unit dismantled a protest camp in the early hours of Thursday at Praça de D. João I, in central Porto. Around 150 people had been living there since Saturday, protesting against housing prices.
The operation began at around 3 a.m. According to the Housing Movement, which organised the camp, 37 people were injured, two of them seriously. One of the injured was a person with a disability.
CNN Portugal reported at least 35 injuries, with two people taken to hospital with fractures. The ruling party described the operation as “more forceful”, explaining that protesters had resisted the dismantling of their tents. It said it had no information about any injuries.
The camp was set up after the October 10 demonstrations, when the platform Não dá mais para viver assim (“We Can’t Live Like This Anymore”) brought several thousand people onto the streets of Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Aveiro to protest rising rents and the cost of living. On Monday, municipal police had already removed around 50 tents, but protesters put them back up that night. Porto Mayor Pedro Duarte vowed to take an “absolutely uncompromising” stance towards attempts to set up tents, while the city council said it would not allow the unlawful occupation of public space.
The next major demonstration is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, this time in the capital. In Lisbon, protesters will gather at 2:30 p.m. at Cais do Sodré. Their demands include a minimum 15% pay rise and price caps on essential goods, including housing.
Stay safe.
