Thousands Protest in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra for Housing Rights

Key summary

Thousands of people gathered in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra on Saturday (October 24) to protest for housing rights. The demonstration is part of a nearly three-week campaign by civil society groups pressuring the government to implement emergency measures to address the housing crisis. In Lisbon, protesters assembled along Avenida da Liberdade and marched behind sound trucks playing music, requiring police to close traffic due to crowd size. Protest signs read 'Housing is a basic right, homes are for living' and 'Open the way for those who want to have a home to live in'. In Porto, hundreds gathered at Praca da Batalha before marching through the city center to Praca D. Joao I, which has been a central gathering point since the protests began two weeks ago. Organizers distributed leaflets explaining protest reasons and 'protester guides' advising on peaceful conduct and handling police encounters. Protesters demand the repeal of new rental laws and approval of aid measures including banning evictions without alternative housing, preventing real estate funds from buying up properties, increasing state housing stock, capping rent prices, and repurposing vacant properties for housing. Xinhua News Agency reports that police intervened twice: on October 15 in Porto where 39 protesters were injured (2 critically) and one police officer was hurt during early morning operations; and on October 20 in Lisbon where police cleared the Rossio square campsite, detaining 55 protesters scheduled for court on October 27. The report is by Kanitnuch Sirisut.