13 arrested in clashes between police and protesters over housing crisis in Portugal

Portuguese riot police raided camps set up by protesters in Lisbon and Porto in the early hours of Sunday, arresting 13 people in the latest confrontation between police and demonstrators protesting the housing crisis.

At around 4:30 a.m., police stormed a camp in Rossio Square in Lisbon and another smaller one in Dom João I Square in Porto.

Protesters chanted, “The smell of dictatorship is pervasive,” while police stated that their officers were pelted with bottles and paint during attempts to dismantle the tents.

Police announced in a statement that six people were arrested in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing to comply with orders to disperse the protest, noting that 13 officers were injured, eight of whom were hospitalized.

In Porto, police said three plainclothes officers monitoring the protesters were assaulted.

One officer brandished a weapon at the protesters, according to police.

An unspecified number of civilians were injured during the operation, which was carried out “with respect for civilian rights,” according to the police statement.

The activist group “Acampada Lisboa” reported that more than 30 protesters were injured, including ten who were hospitalized, and called for a new gathering on Sunday afternoon in the capital.

The group stated on social media, “We will not be silenced,” accompanying the post with images of protesters showing signs of blood and bruises due to what they described as “police violence.”

Some protesters carried red carnations, symbolizing Portugal’s 1974 revolution that overthrew nearly five decades of dictatorship.

The tents were erected late Saturday night following peaceful marches through the streets of both cities in protest of rising rental prices.

Police said they dismantled 69 tents in Lisbon and 30 in Porto.

In recent weeks, police have repeatedly dismantled camps that had sprung up in Lisbon and Porto.

Protesters are calling on the government to abandon plans to facilitate tenant evictions and to remove the cap on new rents, warning that these measures would drive up housing prices and increase the vulnerability of tenants.

Portuguese protesters drew inspiration from events in Spain, where demonstrators set up tents in central Madrid and other cities for weeks.

Amid these developments, Amnesty International expressed “deep concern over the disproportionate and excessive use of force by police” against protesters.

A lawyer representing the protesters announced his intention to file a complaint against the Minister of Internal Administration and the Director of the National Police for abuse of power.