Follow-Up: Thousands of Portuguese Protesters Return to Squares in Lisbon and Porto; Lisbon Assembly Votes to Re-Camp on Wednesday as 55 Detainees Face Court
Lisbon, Portugal — Hours after police cleared two housing protest camps before dawn on October 20, thousands of demonstrators returned that evening to Lisbon's Rossio Square and Porto's Dom João I Square. A people's assembly in Lisbon voted to set up camp again on Wednesday, October 21, and singer Ana Moura performed in support. Organisers estimated more than 1,000 people gathered in each square.
Fifty-five people were arrested in the clearances and two suffered minor injuries; the detainees were released pending a court appearance on Wednesday. Public Security Police superintendent Sérgio Soares called the operation calm and proportionate, while Lisbon camp spokesperson Carla Valadão described it as very aggressive. Porto's mayor Pedro Duarte said housing concerns would continue to be heard as long as demonstrations stayed peaceful and legal.
Protesters are demanding that the centre-right government withdraw a bill easing evictions and ending rent caps on new leases, which passed a first parliamentary reading with the far-right Chega party abstaining. House prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017 and rents on new leases have nearly doubled, in one of Europe's worst housing affordability crises, and major cities have also seen opposition to excessive tourism and an influx of digital nomads.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 里斯本 Rossio 广场（佩德罗四世广场）。图：This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov. Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Z，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0。 / Rossio Square (Praça D. Pedro IV) in Lisbon. Photo by This photo was taken by Anton Zelenov. Please credit this with : Photo : Anton Z, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
