Police clear housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto
Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 14:06 · Archive
Portuguese police dismantled tent camps in Lisbon and Porto on Sunday, dispersing hundreds of housing protesters.
Police moved into Rossio Square in Lisbon at around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday with dozens of officers, some accompanied by police dogs, using shields and batons to disperse the protesters. A smaller encampment in Porto's Dom Joao I Square was also dismantled. Before the operation began, police commander Iuri Rodrigues issued three warnings that the tents had been erected illegally and warned that those resisting removal could face disobedience charges.
The camps had been set up following a march on Saturday through central Lisbon that drew thousands demanding the government withdraw the rental bill. The bill passed its first parliamentary reading with the abstention of the far-right Chega party. Protesters say it would deepen Portugal's housing crisis by making evictions easier and ending rent caps on new leases.
Accounts of the police action differ. DW News reports that some demonstrators threw bottles and paint at officers, and that police said six people were arrested in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing to disperse, with 13 police injured and eight hospitalised. Activist group Acampada Lisboa said more than 30 protesters were injured, including 10 requiring hospital treatment. One lawyer representing those detained in Porto said the police response was disproportionate. Lawmaker Pedro Delgado Alves argued that nothing justified 'a police intervention involving force, physical violence or baton charges'.
This follows similar police operations the previous Sunday in the same squares, when police arrested 25 people in Lisbon and six in Porto. Housing campaign group Casa para Viver said 60 people were injured in those earlier operations. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on Thursday he was open to amending the bill ahead of a final vote in coming weeks, though he ruled out withdrawing it entirely. Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Carneiro called on the government to engage in talks with opposition parties and protesters rather than imposing its views.
How it is being reported
- Portugal police storm housing protest camps in Lisbon, PortoClashes broke out as officers again dispersed housing protesters from tent camps in Lisbon and Porto. Portuguese police have repeatedly cleared tent camps erected across both cities in recent weeks.DW News · 1 Nov, 11:20
- Violence in Lisbon as police move in to clear housing protest campPortugal is grappling with one of Europe's worst housing crisesIndependent World · 1 Nov, 10:23
- Police storm Portugal housing protest campsDozens of officers, some accompanied by police dogs, moved into Rossio Square in Lisbon early on Sunday.Al Jazeera · 1 Nov, 07:06
In this story: Portugal · Lisbon · Porto · Luis Montenegro · Pedro Delgado Alves · Jose Luis Carneiro · Casa para Viver
This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log
Comments (0)