New protests took place in Porto and Lisbon on Sunday following an early morning police crackdown that dispersed encampments in both cities. The demonstrations are part of ongoing protests over access to housing.
In Porto, the municipal council invited protesters to a meeting on Tuesday. According to Pedro Duarte, the meeting aims to discuss the possibility of occasional encampments and to reconcile the right to protest with the availability of urban spaces. It may also prepare a larger meeting at Teatro Rivoli, as requested by protesters concerned about housing access. A popular assembly was scheduled for 19h at Praça Dom João I, where about 1,000 people were gathered in a demonstration against police repression.
In Lisbon, protesters returned to Rossio square after the early morning police charge. The protest began at 17h and was called in response to the dispersal of encampments. More people and signs were present, but no chants or shouted slogans had started. A popular assembly was underway, according to Observador reporter António Moura dos Santos. The atmosphere was one of contestation, with slogans against the government of Luís Montenegro and Interior Minister Luís Neves. Speakers criticized what they called the inaction of the President of the Republic. One woman said she was assaulted at Martim Moniz police station by two unidentified PSP officers and would file a complaint. Protesters also announced a criminal complaint against the national director of the PSP and against Luís Neves over the police action. The mood was solemn due to the previous night's violence but also solidary, with calls to continue protesting without violence, which they said was a government strategy to demobilize them. A concert by the Orquestra da Acampada and a popular canteen were planned, and it remained uncertain whether tents would be re-erected.
Several left-wing political figures expressed support for the Lisbon encampment. Catarina Martins, MEP for Bloco de Esquerda, questioned the purpose of the police charge and asked whether the government wanted to install an authoritarian state. António Filipe of the PCP said Parliament must urgently debate the police violence and that the President should speak more vocally. The PCP requested a conference of leaders to schedule an urgent debate. LIVRE called for the resignation of the Interior Minister, describing the police charges as disproportionate and unjustified. The party said it would report the case to the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, citing violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Interior Minister Luís Neves reacted to the PSP operation, saying the images were difficult to watch and that no one would have wanted it to happen. He placed his position at the disposal of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. He defended the police against what he called a small group that threatened public order. His remarks were recorded on CNN.
The Socialist Party announced it would urgently summon the Interior Minister to Parliament to clarify the police operations. At a press conference in Porto, José Luís Carneiro, the party's secretary-general, also asked the Prime Minister to convene the internal security system to ensure institutional monitoring and democratic scrutiny. He said he wanted to speak with the President of the Republic. António José Seguro had asked the government for information and clarifications about the police intervention in Lisbon and Porto.
Sources: Observador.