Police operations left 31 people detained and more than 20 injured, prompting parties to criticize PM Montenegro.
Early Sunday morning, Portuguese police violently evicted housing rights encampments that had been taking place in Lisbon and Oporto. The police operations left 31 people detained and more than 20 people injured.
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The police action prompted reactions from most opposition parties, which criticized Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and his convenient silence in the face of the events.
Socialist Party (PS) leader Jose Luis Carneiro demanded a “comprehensive explanation” from the Montenegro administration regarding the police action at the encampments. He emphasized that the solution to the housing problem “is political, never police-related.”
“Montenegro cannot, through his silence, continue to pit the police against citizens and citizens against the police,” the Socialist leader said.
Although the government has not yet commented on the police operation, one of the parties in the governing coalition, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), has spoken out.
Its spokesman, Sebastiao Bugalho, defended the “proportionality” of the police action, which took place “within the legal framework that is supposed to apply to protect the right to demonstrate.”
🇵🇹 Manifestação pacífica pelo direito à habitação, foi violentamente desmobilizada pela polícia de intervenção, no centro de Lisboa. O governo de direita português mandou evacuar a praça do Rossio durante a madrugada. Houve 31 detenções. pic.twitter.com/CgJBaD9cyU
— geopol•pt (@GeopolPt) October 25, 2026
The text reads, “A peaceful demonstration for the Right to Housing was violently dispersed by riot police in downtown Lisbon. The right-wing Portuguese government ordered the evacuation of Rossio Square in the early hours of the morning. There were 31 arrests.”
Meanwhile, far-right politician Andre Ventura, founder and leader of the Enough! party (Chega), defended the eviction, asserting that “the police have been very patient with these people camping out in the squares. Too patient, even!”
Nevertheless, even Ventura criticized the stance adopted by Montenegro and the Social Democratic Party, accusing the prime minister of hiding from problems and failing to come out publicly in support of the police.
In recent weeks, police violence against Portuguese citizens has drawn criticism from international humanitarian organizations such as SOS Racismo and from European left-wing parties, which have denounced the excessive use of force.
The housing movement has called for demonstrations in Lisbon and Oporto on Sunday to reject police violence, as well as another protest on Tuesday outside Parliament, where debate will begin on the 2027 state budget.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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