Lisbon (AFP) – Activists for the right to housing in Portugal, whose camps set up in Lisbon and Porto (north) were systematically evacuated by the police, claimed Monday to have obtained a court decision favorable to their cause, which the government disputes.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 18:43
Requested by an individual activist, the administrative court of Lisbon authorized him to set up a tent on Rossio Square, in the heart of the Portuguese capital, throughout the night, while the police have so far invoked a decree which, according to them, prohibits any demonstration beyond 12:30 a.m.
The Ministry of the Interior, however, considered that this judicial decision "is limited to an individual and concrete situation" and "does not comment on the legality of police interventions, nor does it recognize a general right to the installation of permanent camps in public spaces".
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the police again evacuated dozens of tents set up in Lisbon and Porto, the large city in the north of the country, charging the protesters with batons and making 13 arrests.
The police reported 13 injuries among their ranks in Porto, while the medical emergency service recorded 25 protesters lightly injured in the two interventions.
The President of the Republic António José Seguro is due to convene his "Council of State", a consultative body bringing together the country's highest political figures, on Monday afternoon to address the subject of "social cohesion" in the context of demonstrations for the right to housing inspired by neighboring Spain.
“I will not give up on dialogue and common sense,” the head of state declared Monday morning. “The right to demonstrate is a constitutional right, it is a symbol of our freedom and our democratic regime,” he argued.
Activists for the right to housing plan to gather again on Monday evening in Rossio Square, in order to "celebrate" the decision of the Lisbon administrative court.
© 2026 AFP
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