President António José Seguro has convened Portugal's Council of State for 3 p.m. at Belém Palace to debate social cohesion, the second meeting of the body since he took office. The meeting comes as the head of state has shown particular concern about housing and has said he is available to meet protesters at the encampments in Porto and Lisbon.
Henrique Blanc, a spokesperson for the Porto encampment, confirmed that the Civil House of the Presidency contacted the movement. He said the invitation was received positively but must still be discussed in a popular assembly. Seguro also contacted Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas and Porto mayor Pedro Duarte, after earlier speaking with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and requesting clarifications from the government and the Ombudsman about the police intervention.
Thirteen protesters detained during the police operation are due to appear for first judicial interrogation. In Porto, the hearings begin at 10 a.m. at the Tribunal de Pequena Instância Criminal; in Lisbon, they are scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Campus de Justiça.
The overnight period from Sunday to Monday passed without confrontations. In Porto's Praça Dom João I, 15 tents were set up under PSP surveillance after a popular assembly decided to stay overnight and rejected an invitation from Porto mayor Pedro Duarte for a meeting. In Lisbon, protesters left Rossio before 1 a.m., but there were moments of tension. After a firecracker exploded, demonstrators chased the alleged person responsible, who took refuge in a restaurant that was closed as a precaution. An organizer said the man was a plainclothes police officer, but PSP denied this; a PSP source told Observador that the 41-year-old man is a manager. Earlier, police fined drivers who honked in solidarity with the demonstration, and PSP found three Molotov cocktails in Rossio during the afternoon.
The Journalists' Union will file a complaint with the Ombudsman against PSP, seeking accountability for the assault and intimidation of journalists who covered the protests in Porto and Lisbon. In a statement, the union particularly condemned an attack on a photojournalist by a PSP agent in the early hours of Sunday.
On the political front, André Ventura again blamed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro for the tension on the streets. The Chega leader said the demonstrations should not be a public-order issue and that the problems arise because the government does not know how to react; he also rejected blaming PSP officers. Ventura, who was re-elected party president over the weekend with more than 98% of the vote, announced an emergency housing package.
Livre called for the resignation of the interior minister and supported PCP's request for an urgent parliamentary debate. Co-spokesperson Isabel Mendes Lopes said the government must be held responsible for the weekend police charges and that the Interior Ministry has no conditions to continue. Livre announced it will raise the case with international organizations, including the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, arguing that there were serious violations of rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and an international impact on civil and political rights. The party condemned the police action against housing demonstrations and described the new police interventions as deeply worrying.
A 24-hour strike by public administration workers is taking place, called by the Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores dos Serviços e Entidades com Fins Públicos. The strike may affect sectors such as education and health. Among the union's demands are the establishment of a meal card in public administration, a risk allowance for the auxiliary health technician career, a revision of the integrated performance management and evaluation system, a revision of the collective agreement applicable to public business entities, and the hiring of more staff.
In sport, Sporting announced that it has begun talks with coach Rui Borges to terminate his contract. Tiago Fernandes, currently coach of the B team, will take interim charge of the main team and is expected to lead it in Wednesday's Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk. Observador understands that Paulo Fonseca, 53, will leave Lyon and is expected to be presented by Sporting this week. Borges leaves after nearly two years, during which he won the Portuguese league title and the Portuguese Cup. Sporting is nine points behind league leaders Porto; Benfica can move closer to the top when it plays Alverca at 8:15 p.m. at Estádio da Luz.
Sources: Observador.