Police clear housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto before dawn

Portuguese police moved into Rossio Square in Lisbon at around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, using shields and batons to dismantle more than 50 tents erected by housing protesters after Saturday's mass march. A smaller encampment in Porto's Dom Joao I square was simultaneously cleared.

Police commander Iuri Rodrigues issued three warnings before ordering the dispersal, saying the tents had been erected illegally and that those resisting removal could face disobedience charges.

The operation followed a march the previous day in which thousands demanded the minority centre-right government withdraw rental legislation that would make evictions easier and remove rent caps on new leases. Demonstrators argue the bill would deepen an already severe affordability crisis.

Lawmaker Pedro Delgado Alves said the square had been peaceful and that nothing justified force or baton charges. Housing campaign group Casa para Viver said 60 people were injured across operations in the same squares the previous Sunday, when police arrested 25 people in Lisbon and six in Porto. Police described those earlier actions as proportionate.

Portugal's housing crisis is among the most acute in Europe. House prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents on new leases have nearly doubled over the same period. The Bank of Portugal estimates a nationwide shortage of 300,000 homes — equivalent to Lisbon's entire housing stock.