Early on Monday, uncertainty surrounded the housing protest camp at Praça D. João I in Porto. One of the two PSP police cars at the square left, leaving a single vehicle. A few dozen demonstrators remained, with around 10 tents; many people were already inside tents and most of the square was empty. Protesters said they had been assured by the PSP that it would not intervene, but they now admit they may demobilize under police pressure. The PSP has not explained why this night differed from previous ones, when it warned protesters to remove their tents. No formal negotiation had taken place, and the situation was calm.
The decision to stay overnight was taken at a popular assembly on Saturday night, which also rejected an invitation from Porto mayor Pedro Duarte for a meeting on Tuesday.
In Lisbon, tension marked the night at Rossio with firecrackers and honking. After firecrackers went off, a man suspected of setting them off was chased and took refuge in a restaurant, which closed its gate for safety. An organizer said the man was an off-duty police officer. The PSP later identified the man as a 41-year-old manager who denies throwing the firecracker. Earlier, police fined drivers who honked in solidarity with the protest. Few people remained at Rossio by the early hours.
President António José Seguro is available to meet protesters from the Porto and Lisbon camps. He wants to hear the proposals they wish to present to political authorities and to discuss recent events. Henrique Blanc, a spokesperson for the Porto camp, confirmed that the Civil House of the Presidency had contacted him; the proposal was welcomed but still had to be discussed in the popular assembly. Seguro also contacted Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas and Porto mayor Pedro Duarte. He had earlier spoken with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and requested clarifications from the Government and the Ombudsman's Office about the police intervention in the early hours of Sunday. He convened the Council of State for Monday to discuss social cohesion.
The Journalists' Union announced it will file a complaint with the Ombudsman's Office against the PSP, seeking accountability for the assault and intimidation of journalists covering the protests in Porto and Lisbon. It specifically condemned the assault by PSP officers on a photojournalist covering the housing protest in Porto.
Chega president André Ventura said the situations only arose because of the Prime Minister's absence. He argued that the protests should not be a public order issue and that the problems stem from the Government's inability to react. Ventura blamed Montenegro and Interior Minister Luís Neves, and lamented that police officers were suffering from public dissatisfaction caused by the rising cost of living. He announced an emergency package for housing.
LIVRE called for the resignation of the Interior Minister and said it would join PCP's request for an urgent parliamentary debate. Co-spokesperson Isabel Mendes Lopes said the minister had no conditions to remain, even though the party does not usually demand resignations. LIVRE also announced it would raise the case with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, arguing that there were grave violations of rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The party condemned the police action against peaceful housing protests and described the new police interventions as deeply worrying.
Sources: Observador.