On 25 October, the Portuguese police cleared protest camps set up in response to the housing crisis in Rossio Square in Lisbon and Dom João I Square in Porto. According to the PSP, 31 people were arrested and 171 tents and camp structures were removed.
Briefly about the main points
- The police reported that 31 people had been arrested for disobedience: 25 in Lisbon and six in Porto.
- The police dismantled 117 structures in Lisbon and 54 in Porto.
- The PSP reported 11 people injured, whilst Casa Para Viver reported around 60.
- All those detained are due to appear before the courts on 26 October.
The operations began at around two o’clock in the morning
Operations to dismantle the camps began at around 02:00. In Lisbon, the police removed 117 tents and structures, and in Porto, 54. According to police reports, 25 people were arrested in Lisbon and a further six in Porto for disobeying orders.
The police stated that, prior to the intervention, they had asked the participants to leave the camps voluntarily, and described the operation itself as proportionate. All 31 detainees are due to appear before the courts on Monday, 26 October.
The PSP and the organisers gave different figures for the number of people injured
The PSP reported that 11 people had been injured, including three police officers. The media also reported that batons had been used whilst dispersing the protesters.
The Casa Para Viver platform reported that around 60 people had been injured. The organisers also claim that the police used dogs, batons and rubber bullets. The platform has announced a new protest outside Parliament for Tuesday, 27 October, at 6.30 pm.
Protests are taking place against a backdrop of deteriorating housing affordability in the country. In January, the OECD highlighted structural problems in the Portuguese housing market and the recovery in demand, whilst Eurostat recorded a price increase of approximately 14.2% between 2025 and the second quarter of 2026.
