President António José Seguro is set to convene the State Council this Monday at 15:00 at the Belém Palace to debate social cohesion. This marks the second meeting of the body called by the President since assuming office. The gathering comes as the head of state has demonstrated a willingness to meet with protesters from the housing camps in Porto and Lisbon to hear their proposals and discuss recent events.
Henrique Blanco, a spokesperson for the Porto camp, confirmed that he was contacted by the Presidential Civil House on Sunday at 17:30. Blanco stated that the invitation to discuss their proposals and recent incidents was received positively but will be debated democratically within the Popular Assembly before acceptance. Prior to this, President Seguro had also contacted Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas and Porto Mayor Pedro Duarte, as well as Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, seeking clarifications from both the government and the Ombudsman regarding police interventions in the early hours of Sunday.
On Monday morning, 13 protesters detained during the police operation to disperse the camps in Lisbon and Porto on Saturday night will face their first judicial interrogations. In Porto, hearings are scheduled for 10:00 at the Criminal Court of Small Claims, while in Lisbon, they are set for 14:00 at the Justice Campus. At the time of reporting, the situation at Dom João I Square in Porto remained calm with only a few dozen protesters and about ten tents remaining; police had briefly left the area but returned, with two officers currently monitoring the nearly empty square.
In Lisbon, protesters abandoned the Rossio area before 01:00 following a night marked by car horns and fireworks. Tensions rose after a pyrotechnic device exploded, leading to a chase of the presumed perpetrator who took refuge in a restaurant, forcing its closure for safety reasons. While one organizer suggested the individual might be an undercover police officer, the Public Security Police (PSP) identified him as a 41-year-old manager who denies involvement. Earlier tensions included fines issued by police to drivers honking in solidarity with the demonstration.
The Journalists' Union announced it will file a complaint with the Ombudsman against the PSP, citing aggression and intimidation of reporters covering the protests in Porto and Lisbon. The union specifically condemned an attack on a video journalist in Porto. Politically, Chega leader André Ventura blamed the police charges on the Prime Minister's absence, arguing that the situation is a government failure rather than a public order issue. Ventura criticized Prime Minister Montenegro and Interior Minister Luís Neves, stating that police are suffering due to dissatisfaction caused by the rising cost of living.
The Livre party has called for the resignation of the Interior Minister and will support an urgent debate proposed by the PCP regarding the disproportionate and unjustified nature of the police charges. Co-spokesperson Isabel Mendes Lopes stated that the Ministry of Internal Administration is unfit to continue and announced plans to present the case to international bodies, including the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, citing violations of protected rights.
Sources: Observador.