Police clear Lisbon protest camp after thousands rally over housing

Portuguese police dismantled a protest camp in Lisbon's Rossio Square on Sunday, Nov 1, following a massive demonstration against proposed rental law changes. Thousands of protesters marched through the capital demanding that the minority centre-right government withdraw a housing bill. According to The Business Times - Companies & Markets, demonstrators are seeking to scrap legislation that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases.

The police operation began around 4:30 a.m. after police commander Iuri Rodrigues issued three warnings that the illegally erected tents would be dismantled. The Business Times - Companies & Markets reports that dozens of officers, some using police dogs, moved in on the camp, which contained more than 50 tents. Hundreds of protesters shielding the camp were dispersed by officers using shields and baton charges.

The Daily Times reports that protesters fear the legislation could worsen Portugal's growing housing crisis. The Business Times - Companies & Markets notes that house prices have more than doubled since 2017 and rents for new leases have nearly doubled.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, The Business Times - Companies & Markets — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.