Housing Protesters Reoccupy Squares Following Clashes and Hospitalisations
Housing rights campaigners reoccupied Lisbon's Rossio square and Porto's Praça D. João I on Sunday afternoon following violent nighttime police interventions that cleared encampments. Hospital records show at least 27 injured people were admitted for treatment in Lisbon, contradicting lower injury estimates from police officials, while over 30 people were arrested across both cities. The Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados) called for an inquiry into police conduct, while Mariana Leitão, leader of the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal), criticised the police response as unacceptable repression that will not resolve the housing crisis.
The PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) is Portugal's national civilian police force, founded in 1867. Responsible for defending Republican democracy and safeguarding internal security and citizens' rights, the PSP polices major cities—Lisbon, Porto, Faro—and large urban areas, covering only 4% of Portugal's territory but roughly half the population. Led by a National Director under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its approximately 21,500 officers handle preventive policing, crime investigation, public order, airport security, diplomatic protection, private security regulation, firearms licensing, and border control (since 2023).
PSP vs. GNR: The PSP is civilian with police-focused training and urban jurisdiction, while the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) is military (gendarmerie) with military training, covering 96% of Portugal's rural and suburban territory. Both share core public safety missions but differ fundamentally in nature, training, and geographic responsibility.
Mariana Leitão is a Portuguese politician and the parliamentary leader of the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal). Elected to the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) in 2022, she leads her party's legislative group and advocates for free-market economic policies, tax reductions, and public-sector reform. She serves as one of the party's primary spokespersons on national housing, fiscal, and regulatory issues.
