Latest news and stories about protests in government in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Protesters in Portugal have returned to central public squares to continue demonstrations against the soaring cost of living and escalating housing crisis, shortly after police dismantled their encampments and detained 55 individuals.
CNN Portugal commentator Jorge Silva Carvalho analysed the protests held in Lisbon and Porto regarding the housing crisis, questioning the immediate involvement of legal representation in inorganic movements.
Lisbon police have warned housing rights protesters that their camp at Rossio square is unauthorised and must be cleared, while hoping to resolve the standoff without force. Despite the dispersal deadline passing, demonstrators formed human chains to protect their tents, maintaining their protest against current housing policies amid fears of an eviction similar to that in Porto.
More than a hundred people demonstrated in downtown Lisbon, organized by CGTP, to demand gender equality and oppose a labor package perceived to worsen women's working conditions. The protest featured slogans advocating for equal pay and rights, with participants highlighting ongoing disparities in the workplace. CGTP leaders emphasized the need for legislative changes to uphold constitutional rights for women, especially in light of the upcoming International Women's Day.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Lisbon and Porto to protest against the government's proposed changes to the labour law, known as the 'Work XXI' reform. Led by the CGTP union, the protests highlighted concerns that the reforms would negatively impact workers' rights. CGTP's Secretary-General, Tiago Oliveira, called for the government to withdraw the labour package, emphasizing its detrimental effects on the workforce.
Civil society representatives ask that the Lisbon Administrative Court's decision be respected. Additionally, an attack in Poland leaves at least six dead and more than a dozen injured.
A standoff is developing between Lisbon City Hall and the movement for the right to housing. Carlos Moedas is demanding that the protesters' tents be removed from Rossio Square, where he intends to install the Christmas market. Activists report that the Municipal Police were on-site to request the removal of the “encampment,” and have decided to take the protests to the Web Summit. We are updating all developments regarding the protests here.
A standoff is developing between Lisbon City Council and the housing rights movement. Carlos Moedas is demanding that the protesters' tents be removed from Rossio Square, where he intends to set up the Christmas market. Activists report that the Municipal Police were on-site to request the removal of the encampment, and they have decided to take their protests to the Web Summit. We are updating all developments regarding the protests here.
The solution found by the Lisbon City Council for the Christmas Market in Rossio has already led activist Renata Cambra to ask the court to declare the order signed by the mayor null and void and to compel the PSP and the Municipal Police “not to adopt any measures of dispersal, cessation, removal or relocation of the demonstration”
The Public Security Police (PSP) and the Lisbon City Council (CML) are calling for the removal of the protest encampment.
The majority of demonstrators arrested during the October 20th encampment in Lisbon decided this Friday, November 6th, to proceed to trial, as the Public Prosecutor's Office continues to consider whether to archive the case, according to the defense. Lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes noted that only a very small number of individuals accepted the provisional suspension of the proceedings, leaving the possibility of dismissal or trial open. The Public Prosecutor is currently reviewing the case in light of a recent Administrative Court ruling that authorized protest activities, including overnight stays, in Lisbon's Rossio square. While some defendants may accept a settlement involving a donation to charity, those choosing trial face potential acquittal, fines, or imprisonment. Meanwhile, Mayor Moedas is pressuring protesters to relocate for a Christmas market, and the Porto encampment has demanded the resignation of Luís Neves.
The 86 protesters detained during recent police crackdowns at the Lisbon encampment in Rossio Square are scheduled to be heard by the Public Prosecution Service on Friday, October 6th. This follows incidents involving demonstrators advocating for housing rights. Legal proceedings are currently under review, with the Public Prosecution Service considering the possibility of archiving disobedience charges in light of recent administrative court rulings that upheld the right to demonstrate. Both the Ombudsman and the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) have launched inquiries into the police conduct during these protests in Lisbon and Porto to assess whether the use of force was proportionate and consistent with constitutional rights.
In an open letter, the group acknowledges the importance of the Christmas Market for the city, appealing to Moedas for a 'more suitable alternative' by changing the location to Praça do Município.
Rita Júdice rejects that the court's decision allows the indiscriminate presence of tents in Rossio. She also laments the lack of balance shown by some protesters.
During the State Budget hearing at the Assembly of the Republic, the Minister of Justice called for balance regarding housing demonstrations. Rita Alarcão Júdice was also praised by the opposition.
Demonstrators are calling for accessible housing solutions while re-establishing protest camps across the country.
The protesters spent another night and early morning in D. Pedro IV and D. João I squares. The authorities maintained a discreet presence.
One day after the court's decision, and with the Prime Minister's appeal to avoid “undesirable clashes,” the tents returned to Rossio. From one on Monday night, the number grew to 60.
The PSP has already dispersed camping protests in Lisbon and Porto on several occasions.
Democratic values are facing challenges that none of us imagined in this little corner.
The motion of commendation was approved with abstentions from the PS and IL, and votes in favour from the PSD, CDS-PP, and Chega. A motion of repudiation from the PAN regarding the “government's political responsibility for the PSP interventions” was rejected.
Unions and tenants' collectives from seven European countries particularly affected by the housing crisis, including Portugal, approved today in Paris the call for simultaneous demonstrations on November 20, 21, and 22.
The movement, which has been promoting gatherings in Rossio, is setting up tents again this Tuesday to demand, among other measures, the repeal of the new lease law and the facilitation of evictions.
The Prime Minister guaranteed this Tuesday that he does not undervalue demonstrations regarding housing, but that these must be reconciled with the right to “order” and “peace and quiet”, appealing for “models of violent protests” not to be imported. Luís Montenegro, who also announced that he will meet with the leaders of the PS and Chega, hopes “that everyone...
Doctors, nurses, and firefighters have signed a statement against the police charges on Sunday in Rossio and Porto, where around 100 tents were removed and dozens of people were injured.
The statement to the nation comes after weeks of demonstrations and so-called encampments in Lisbon and Porto protesting against the cost of housing, which have already resulted in several police charges.
The Lisbon Campers refused today to vacate Rossio to allow for the installation of the Christmas Market, proposing to the City Council that they move the event to another location, but, according to the local authority, merchants in the Baixa district want to keep it in the square.
In the early hours of Sunday, the PSP dispersed the encampments for the right to housing at Rossio, in Lisbon, and at Praça D. João I, in Porto, removing approximately 100 tents.
MEP Catarina Martins, deputy Fabian Figueiredo, and Bloc coordinator José Manuel Pureza filed two international complaints on Monday regarding police conduct against protests and encampments for housing rights in Lisbon and Porto.
A tent remains set up in Rossio this morning. A new popular assembly is scheduled for tonight. Additionally, the Government signs the contract for the partial sale of TAP to Lufthansa today.
