In Porto, protesters in a housing encampment decided by a majority at a popular assembly to spend another night at Praça D. João I with tents, despite a police crackdown in the early hours. They had believed the PSP would not intervene, but police cars began arriving around 00:30 and six officers were present, according to the Observador's live coverage. Fewer than 100 protesters remained.
The protesters acknowledged they did not have the numbers to resist a possible police charge and said they would be willing to remove their tents if asked. No contact between police and protesters had taken place yet. The assembly also rejected an invitation from Porto mayor Pedro Duarte for a meeting on Tuesday.
In Lisbon, Rossio square saw honking and firecrackers, with moments of tension. After a firecracker exploded, a suspect fled into a restaurant, which closed its door for safety. An organizer said the suspect was an off-duty police officer, but the PSP identified the man as a 41-year-old manager who denies throwing the firework, according to an official PSP source cited by the Observador. Earlier, police fined drivers who honked in solidarity with the protest. Fewer than 200 people remained at Rossio.
President António José Seguro is available to meet protesters from both Porto and Lisbon. A spokesperson for the Porto camp, Henrique Blanc, confirmed that the presidency's civil house contacted him at 19:30 and said the president was willing to discuss their proposals and recent events. Blanc told Lusa the invitation was welcomed but would still be discussed democratically in the assembly.
On Sunday, Seguro also contacted Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas and Porto mayor Pedro Duarte. He had earlier spoken with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and asked for clarifications from the government and the Ombudsman about the police intervention. He scheduled a Council of State meeting on social cohesion for Monday.
The journalists' union said it would file a complaint with the Ombudsman against the PSP over the aggression and intimidation of journalists covering the protests in Porto and Lisbon. It condemned in particular an attack on a photojournalist in Porto and announced the formal complaint.
Political reactions continued. Chega leader André Ventura said the situation arose because the prime minister had been absent, arguing that the protests should not be a public order issue and that the government did not know how to react. He pointed to Montenegro and Interior Minister Luís Neves and lamented that police officers were bearing the brunt of dissatisfaction over the cost of living. Ventura also announced an emergency housing package.
Livre called for the resignation of the interior minister and said it would join the PCP's request for an urgent debate. Co-spokesperson Isabel Mendes Lopes said it was important for the legislature to discuss the matter. The party condemned the police action against peaceful housing protests as disproportionate and unjustified, and said it would raise the case with the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, alleging grave violations of rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Sources: Observador.