Portuguese Police Arrest 55 During Housing Protest Evictions
Portuguese police arrested 55 people while clearing tent camps in Lisbon and Porto as thousands protest a government bill to end rent caps.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Rossio square in Lisbon and Dom Joao I square in Porto on Tuesday to demonstrate against Portugal's housing crisis. The mobilization followed a pre-dawn police operation that cleared tent camps in both cities and resulted in 55 arrests.
Public Security Police officers carried out the evictions, which a superintendent described as "calm, proportionate and appropriate, with no police charge." However, a spokesperson for the Lisbon camp characterized the police action as "very aggressive." A popular assembly in Lisbon has since voted to re-establish tents in Rossio square on Wednesday.
Protesters are demanding that the centre-right government withdraw a bill that would end rent caps on new leases and simplify the eviction process. This unrest mirrors similar housing and cost-of-living protests occurring across Spain, France, Belgium, and Italy. In parliament, the far-right party Chega abstained during the first reading of the housing bill.
