Latest news and stories about public safety in government in Porto, Portugal for expats and residents.
The PSP has identified and formally named a young man as a suspect for allegedly inciting an attack on Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's residence during a housing protest speech in Porto. The individual was questioned on suspicion of public incitement to a crime and released under a mandatory identity and residence bond pending an ongoing investigation.
The Ombudsman has requested urgent clarifications from the PSP regarding a police charge in Porto to determine if the intervention complied with the fundamental right to assembly and protest.
The Portuguese Prime Minister's office has released video footage of threats directed at Luís Montenegro amid ongoing housing protests, which organizers have since distanced themselves from. Meanwhile, government officials and Lisbon's mayor are urging calm while demanding accelerated municipal action and private construction to resolve the housing crisis.
Around 200 housing activists in Porto spent a third night in Praça D. João I despite police dismantling their 60-tent encampment, sustaining their demonstration against soaring living and housing costs.
The Police Professionals' Trade Union Association has launched a series of nationwide protests in Porto, calling on the government to address demands for salary increases.
A civilian motorcyclist has died after being struck by an overturning Amarante fire engine that was responding to firefighting efforts in Celorico de Basto, leaving three firefighters injured.
The Judicial Police and Public Prosecutor's Office have dismantled a corruption network involving 81 contracts at Águas de Gaia, with 13 suspects detained for allegedly accepting bribes in the form of luxury trips, gifts, and home renovations.
Participation in domestic violence rehabilitation programmes has risen by 8.9% in early 2025, prompting the Ministry of Justice to launch a recidivism study and establish a specialised training academy for prison staff.
In the past three years, ten patients have tragically died while awaiting heart surgery at Santo António Hospital in Porto, raising serious concerns about the efficiency and safety of the public healthcare system.
The Porto region is set to invest €820,000 in the refurbishment of two health centres. The Vale Formoso Health Unit will receive €526,000 for a four-month renovation, while the Foz Health Centre will be upgraded with an investment of €297,000, expected to take 100 days to complete.
A man wanted by German authorities for assaulting and raping a woman on three occasions in 2023 has been detained by Portugal’s Judicial Police in Porto. He will be presented to the Porto Court of Appeal as Portuguese authorities consider the German request and possible extradition; under the charges he could face up to 15 years’ imprisonment. The arrest underscores cross‑border cooperation in serious sexual‑violence cases and the next legal steps will determine whether he is surrendered to Germany or prosecuted in Portugal.
On October 14, he stated that the Porto City Council would be “absolutely relentless with any attempt to pitch tents.” Now, he warns that no exceptions can be made to compliance with the law.
The popular assembly taking place today at Praça D. João I, in Porto, voted to return to camping at the site, where since October 10th protesters have been demanding the right to housing and have been subjected to two police charges.
The Mayor of Porto, Pedro Duarte, stated he is willing to withdraw the term 'implacable' regarding his stance on protests, but maintained that he will not make exceptions to the rule of law. The comments follow police interventions against protesters camping in Praça D. João I, which resulted in injuries and arrests. The Mayor emphasized that while there is room for dialogue and legal demonstrations, occupying public space with tents defies legal authority. The General Inspectorate of Internal Administration has launched an investigation into the police conduct during the incident.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Praça Dom João I in Porto at 11 PM.
Two people were struck with batons away from the housing protests in Porto. According to the Left Bloc, the incident occurred before the police charge at Praça D. João I. The party is demanding explanations from the City Council regarding the orders given to the officers.
In the early hours of Sunday, October 25, another police intervention related to the protest took place, resulting in 37 injured and six arrests, according to the organizers of the encampment.
The national director of the PSP (who spoke), Moedas and Duarte (who should be fighting politically for housing) and the PS (which says one thing one moment and another the next) are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The urban manner in which the subject was presented and the statements made by the speakers were welcomed by all parties, except for the PSD and the deputies from Chega and the IL. Pedro Duarte was not present.
Porto's municipal assembly was marked today by criticism from the public who, during the period reserved for their intervention, recalled the two police charges on the encampment and linked them to the statements made by the mayor, Pedro Duarte.
Donald Trump questions the legitimacy of the Brazilian presidential elections, but does not justify the statement. Additionally, complaints about police conduct mark the Porto City Council meeting.
The detainees appeared in court at the Local Court of Petty Crimes in Porto. Furthermore, the Public Prosecutor's Office proposed the provisional suspension of the proceedings for all those arrested this weekend.
The six individuals detained during the police dispersal of the Porto encampment were heard this Monday at the Local Court of Petty Crime. The trial is scheduled for 13 November.
The six people arrested on Sunday morning, following police intervention at the encampment in D. João I Square, were heard today at the Local Petty Crime Court in Porto.
At an official ceremony in Porto, also attended by Luís Neves, and without referring to police interventions during this weekend's protests, the Minister of the Presidency stressed the importance of compliance with the rules. 'We are a government proud of its police forces,' he also said.
Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, stated this Monday, October 26, in Porto, that behaviours and movements must have rules and that non-compliance must have consequences. The minister was speaking at a ceremony attended by the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves. Following a weekend of police interventions at protests in Porto and Lisbon, neither government official took questions from the press. The event marked the inauguration of a new modular wing at the Santo António Temporary Installation Centre. While Neves focused on national capacity figures, Leitão Amaro highlighted the importance of rule enforcement and praised the police. Meanwhile, the Lisbon protest movement denounced 'disproportionate' violence, and a solidarity vigil has been called for those detained at the Campus of Justice.
The General Inspectorate for Internal Administration is awaiting information requested from both the PSP and the Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the police intervention in Porto. Additionally, Montenegro and Seguro congratulate Lula da Silva.
The state will award four thousand euros to Dennis da Cruz, who was attacked in 2023 in Póvoa de Varzim.
The situation at Praça D. João I in Porto, which has been the site of a housing protest camp since 10 October, was calm at midnight, with over 200 people talking following a popular assembly that filled the space.
The situation at Praça D. João I in Porto, which has been the site of a housing protest camp since 10 October, was calm at midnight, with over 200 people conversing following a popular assembly that filled the square.
