Portuguese police clash with housing protesters, arrest 13

Lisbon's Rossio Square and Porto's Dom Joao I Square witnessed clashes between riot police and housing protesters on Sunday morning. The Portuguese police, accompanied by canines, forcefully entered protest encampments, arresting thirteen individuals and causing dozens of injuries. Protesters accused the police of acting like a dictatorship, while the officers reported that some demonstrators hurled bottles and paint at them as they attempted to dismantle the tents.

The police announced that six arrests took place in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing to disperse. Thirteen policemen sustained injuries, with eight requiring hospitalization. Police stated that the operation was carried out with rigor, balance, and respect for citizens' rights. Activists from Acampada Lisboa reported over thirty protesters injured, including ten needing hospital care, and they called for a new rally in Lisbon later that afternoon.

The protest camps had emerged after peaceful marches in Lisbon and Porto against the escalating housing costs. The protest action comes in response to the center-right government's proposals to ease evictions and remove rent caps on new leases, which protesters argue would exacerbate housing expenses and endanger tenants.