Police break up tent camp at Lisbon housing protest
Clashes sharpened opposition to a rental bill that would make evictions easier and remove limits on new lease rents.
Portuguese police dismantled a tent camp set up by protesters in Rossio Square, Lisbon, after thousands called on the government to withdraw a rental bill they said would worsen the housing crisis. Dozens of officers, some with police dogs, moved in around 04:30 and broke up hundreds of demonstrators who shielded the tents with riot shields and, in some cases, batons. Police also took down a smaller similar camp in Porto. The action followed weeks of protests amid a surge in home prices that have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new contracts have nearly doubled. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has refused to withdraw the bill, but left open the possibility of changes before a final vote in the next few weeks.