Police Clear Housing Protest Camp in Lisbon's Rossio Square

Police moved into Lisbon's Rossio Square early on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and dispersed housing protesters from a tent camp there. Al Jazeera reported that dozens of officers entered the square at about 4:30am, and that some were accompanied by police dogs.

The camp had grown out of a demonstration. Thousands marched through Lisbon on Saturday to demand that the government withdraw a rental bill. Afterwards, protesters put up more than 50 tents in the square.

Police used shields and batons to push the protesters back and clear the tents. Commander Iuri Rodrigues had issued three warnings to remove the tents before the operation began. Police said the tents had been erected illegally, and warned that people who resisted could face disobedience charges, a criminal offence in Portugal for refusing to comply with an official order. Hundreds of demonstrators who had gathered to protect the camp were dispersed as well.

Police also dismantled a smaller encampment in Dom João I square in Porto, in the north of the country.

The operations follow a similar action a week earlier. On Sunday, October 25, police arrested 25 people in Lisbon and six in Porto. The housing campaign group Casa para Viver said that 60 people were injured across that day's operations in the two cities.

The protests are rooted in a shortage of housing. The Bank of Portugal, the country's central bank, estimates a nationwide shortage of 300,000 homes. Demonstrators want the minority centre-right government, which does not hold a majority in parliament, to scrap legislation that would make evictions easier. They also want rent caps on new leases removed. Rent caps are limits on how much rent a landlord can charge.

Protesters in Rossio have continued to organise. Camp members held a popular assembly, a open meeting used to make group decisions, to prepare details for a planned "mega-acampada", or large camp, according to a video posted by SIC Notícias.