Protesters condemn police violence after authorities dismantle a housing encampment.
On Tuesday, thousands of people gathered in central Lisbon for a popular assembly where they decided to set up again the housing encampment that police dismantled in the early hours of the morning.
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At Don Pedro IV Square, citizens protested with signs and chants against the housing crisis and condemned police violence. They were particularly critical of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Interior Minister Luis Neves, whom they blamed for the beatings, shoving and removal of tents while people were still inside them.
In this context, the protesters said security conditions were not in place to continue the encampment on Tuesday, but left open the possibility of pitching the tents again Wednesday.
“The proposal is as follows: Is there a popular will in this square to resume the encampment with tents starting tomorrow?” one of the movement’s spokespeople asked before inviting anyone who wished to speak to present their demands. Those in attendance voted in favor of setting up the tents again tomorrow.
🇵🇹 À Lisbonne et à Porto, aux premières heures de la matinée du 20 octobre, la police portugaise a démantelé les tentes des manifestants qui y avaient campé pour revendiquer un logement décent, à Lisbonne et à Porto. pic.twitter.com/kDn9ZIh8Jj
— Press TV Français (@fr_presstv) October 20, 2026
The text reads, “In the early hours of October 20, Portuguese police dismantled the tents of protesters who had been camping in Lisbon and Porto to demand decent housing.”
Demonstrations and protests for the right to housing have spread across the country, including in cities such as Faro and Coimbra, although the largest gatherings have been in Lisbon and Porto.
“More than 400 people gathered at 8 de Maio Square in Coimbra, near City Hall and the Monastery of Santa Cruz, to demand solutions to the housing crisis,” Portuguese outlet SIC Noticias reported.
“‘I want a roof, I want a floor, I want the right to housing,’ protesters shouted. They also called for concrete and urgent measures to resolve a problem that persists across all ages and social classes.”
“Housing is a right. Without it, nothing works,” “The housing problem cannot be solved with baton blows,” “Peace, bread, and the right to housing” and “Homes to live in, not to speculate on” were among the slogans chanted by protesters.
Gathered at Largo da Republica, demonstrators also held signs emphasizing that the “Right to housing is enshrined in the Constitution.”
Tensions between protesters and authorities have been escalating for several days, as the government maintains that street protests cannot continue into the early hours of the morning.
“There is a right to demonstrate and to explain the reasons for doing so, all of that in complete peace of mind, with complete normality and within the law. Anything that crosses the boundaries of legality and constitutes a violation of the law will, naturally, receive an appropriate response from the security forces,” said the Interior Minister, who believes the encampments have come to an end.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – SIC Noticias
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