On the night of Sunday into Monday, participants of the Porto encampment decided to spend the night in D. João I Square with their tents erected. Approximately ten tents were set up, a number lower than those typically seen on nights when police have intervened against the protesters.
At the beginning of the evening, around one hundred demonstrators were present in the port square, though many gradually left. The tents remained along with several dozen people who stayed behind. These structures remained in place past 12:30 a.m., which has been the limit set by the Public Security Police (PSP) for their presence in public spaces.
Organizers stated during the night that they had no intention of dismantling the camp, but they admitted to the news outlet Observador that they would remove the tents if requested by the police. They noted that with so few people present, they could not resist a potential intervention. However, such a request never materialized.
Throughout the night and at least until 4:00 a.m., the tents remained standing. Unlike the heavy police deployment that surrounded the square on Sunday morning, there were no signs of agents or vehicles from the PSP or Municipal Police until near the usual deadline. A single car arrived around that time, leading to expectations of the standard dialogue where officers would urge protesters to leave.
Contrary to previous days, police did not approach the demonstrators in the early hours of Monday morning, allowing the encampment of about ten tents to continue. Since the first police vehicle arrived shortly after 12:30 a.m., the number of mobilized agents did not increase. Some protesters were inside the tents while others socialized in the square. At that moment, they explained to Observador that they heard "the same thing" from the PSP without providing further details.
Police officials did not clarify to journalists why their actions differed from recent days, especially since demonstrators had shown willingness to remove the tents if asked due to their small numbers. One officer referred questions for more information to a superior who was not on site.
Shortly after 2:30 a.m., the police eventually left the location. The PSP vehicle carrying four agents departed, leaving the square momentarily without police surveillance. However, minutes later, another security forces vehicle returned to D. João I Square, with two officers remaining to monitor the few protesters still present from 3:00 a.m. onwards.
Sources: Observador.