Portuguese police clear Lisbon housing protest camp, make arrests

Lisbon police cleared a housing protest camp early Sunday morning, clearing demonstrators and arresting several individuals, with minor injuries reported. Portugal is facing one of Europe’s most severe home affordability crises, with housing prices more than doubling since 2017 and rents for new leases nearly doubling. Young people are among those most affected by these rising costs.

Protester Vitor Gomes, a 21-year-old multimedia communications student, expressed his discontent, stating that housing speculation, wealth concentration, and rising inequality make him pessimistic about the future. Police arrived at the camp in Rossio Square around 2 a.m., after warning protesters to dismantle their tents or face arrest.

Over 100 tents had been pitched following a protest march by thousands the previous day. Hundreds rallied to protect the encampment after police dismantled a similar one on Tuesday. Left Bloc lawmaker Fabian Figueiredo criticized the police action, calling it disproportionate, as there had been no public disorder. Protesters argue that soaring rents and higher living costs are straining households and increasing discontent, especially among the younger generation.

The Bank of Portugal estimates a shortage of 300,000 homes nationwide, which is equivalent to Lisbon’s entire housing stock. The protesters are demanding that the government scrap legislation aimed at making evictions easier and lift rent caps on new leases, which passed a first parliamentary reading despite the far-right Chega party abstaining. The protest followed similar demonstrations in Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain.