Protesters in Porto re-established camp on October 17, 2025, on Praça D. João I, following a police raid two days earlier that injured 39 people. The housing movement also expanded actions to Lisbon, staging assemblies amid mounting political fallout and national investigations.
Tents Return to Praça D. João I Amid Defiant Assemblies
The housing movement occupying Praça D. João I in Porto decided on Saturday, October 17, to pitch tents once again after an Assembleia Popular da Habitação. Hundreds of participants gathered in the center of the square, shouting sim in unisson when asked whether they would remain on site. We are going to stay today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes, we are going nowhere, they will not break us,
the crowd declared.
More than 50 tents were rapidly assembled by demonstrators of all ages, complete with sleeping bags and pillows arranged on the pavement. Protest organizers announced they would inform Porto City Hall that the demonstration will continue past October 20, emphasizing that under national law, public demonstrations require notification rather than authorization.
The popular will decided that we are going to stay, that we are going to stay with tents and that we are going to stay beyond the 20th, it was these people who are here who decided what we were going to do and that is what we are going to do.
Protesters maintained daily routines to ensure community hygiene and prevent municipal authorities from citing cleanliness as a pretext for removal. Volunteers swept the square, gathered cigarette butts, and sorted waste into recycling streams alongside containers designated to collect bottles and cans for food funds.
Police Raid and the Outbreak of 39 Injuries
The renewed encampment follows a confrontation earlier in the week. Around 03:00 on October 15, the PSP carried out an operation to clear out the protest camp. The operation resulted in 39 injuries among participants, including two individuals who sustained serious wounds, alongside one injured police officer.
Footage circulating online captured officers using batons to disperse demonstrators. Amnesty International Portugal issued a statement regarding reports of police violence against peaceful protesters, noting that citizens retain the right to protest peacefully, including the right to occupy public space overnight. Legal representatives argued that even if the gathering was considered an unauthorized occupation, the authorities should not have resorted to violence.
Institutional pressure mounted swiftly in the wake of the raid. The Inspectorate-General of Internal Administration (IGAI) opened an administrative inquiry to investigate the security forces’ actions. Simultaneously, Ombudsman Luísa Neto requested urgent information and documents from the national police directorate to evaluate whether the intervention respected constitutional rights to peaceful assembly.
Political Collisions Over Dialogue and Public Order
Pedro Duarte defended the police response, maintaining that the PSP was forced to act because the protest involved noncompliance with the law. The mayor later revealed that he had invited protest representatives to meet inside City Hall.
The housing movement rejected that format. Spokesperson Cristiana Leal explained that city officials contacted the individual whose name appeared on the administrative notification for a private meeting. Because the movement operates collectively, they countered that any dialogue must involve the encampment.
National leaders weighed in with contrasting interpretations of the unrest. Luís Montenegro requested that movements and political parties not be selfish in their actions. Conversely, figures from the Left Bloc and the Portuguese Communist Party condemned the police tactics. José Manuel Pureza labeled the nighttime police charge extraordinarily concerning and completely unacceptable.
National Protests and Future Escalations
The friction in Porto galvanized mobilization across the country. Following the October 15 raid, an estimated 3,000 people converged on central Porto. Protests subsequently spread to other urban centers, including a new encampment established in Lisbon at Praça do Rossio under the slogan Can't take it anymore? Then pitch your tent!
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