Portuguese police clash with housing protesters, with at least 13 arrested and dozens injured

Portuguese police clashed with housing protesters, arresting 13 individuals and injuring 13 of their own officers in Lisbon and Porto on Sunday morning. The confrontations erupted around 4:30 am as dozens of officers moved in on encampments in Lisbon's Rossio Square and Porto's Dom Joao I Square. Protesters accused police of resembling a dictatorship, while officers reported being pelted with bottles and paint.

Six people were arrested in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing to disperse, with 13 police officers sustaining injuries, eight of which required hospitalization. In Porto, plain-clothes officers were assaulted and one displayed his firearm to deter a group of protesters. The operation, described as rigorous, balanced, and respectful of citizens' rights, left dozens more civilians injured.

Activist group Acampada Lisboa reported over 30 protesters injured, including 10 requiring hospital treatment, and called for a fresh rally to protest the police operation. The camps were dismantled following peaceful marches against soaring housing costs. Amnesty International expressed deep concern over the excessive use of force by police, and protesters vowed not to be silenced, displaying red carnations symbolizing Portugal's 1974 revolution.

One protester, Ricardo Sa Fernandes, plans to file a criminal complaint against the interior minister and national police chief for abuse of power.