Portugal housing protests continue after police clear camps
0 / 33
English
中文
Demonstrators vow to continue their campaign to call for affordable housing in Portugal after police cleared tent camps and arrested at least 55 people.
（暂无翻译）
Thousands of people rallied in Lisbon, Porto and other Portuguese cities on Tuesday evening, hours after police dismantled protest camps and arrested a total of 55 demonstrators.
（暂无翻译）
The protesters vowed to continue their campaign against Portugal's deepening housing crisis, which has made buying or renting a home increasingly unaffordable.
（暂无翻译）
Organizers said more than 1,000 people gathered in each of the two main protest locations, although police did not provide crowd estimates.
（暂无翻译）
In Lisbon's central Rossio square, demonstrators voted by a show of hands to re-establish their tent camp on Wednesday.
（暂无翻译）
Police launched coordinated operations in Lisbon and Porto shortly before 6 a.m. (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, after warning protesters that their camps were illegal.
（暂无翻译）
Activists had occupied Lisbon's Rossio square since Saturday, setting up around 200 tents. In Porto, protesters had camped in Dom Joao I square for about 10 days.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Authorities seized 228 camping structures during the operation.
（暂无翻译）
In Porto, demonstrators dismantled their tents themselves after police threatened to intervene. In Lisbon, officers cleared the square as protesters formed a human chain.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Clashes subsequently broke out, according to footage broadcast by local television stations.
（暂无翻译）
Carla Valadao, a spokesperson for the Lisbon camp, described the operation as "very aggressive."
（暂无翻译）
However, Public Security Police superintendent Sergio Soares disputed that account, saying the eviction had been "calm, proportionate and appropriate, with no police charge."
（暂无翻译）
All 55 people arrested were later released pending a court appearance in Lisbon on Wednesday.
（暂无翻译）
Portugal is struggling with one of Europe's worst housing affordability crises.
（暂无翻译）
Property purchase prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new leases have nearly doubled over the same period.
（暂无翻译）
The problem is particularly severe in major cities such as Lisbon and Porto, where residents have also protested against excessive tourism and an influx of so-called digital nomads.
（暂无翻译）
Demonstrators accuse the center-right government of failing to address the crisis.
（暂无翻译）
They are demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases. The proposed legislation has already passed its first parliamentary reading.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
Debora Miranda, a 41-year-old communications consultant, told Reuters she joined the Lisbon demonstration to represent generations struggling with rising housing costs.
（暂无翻译）
"If people don't feel at home, in every sense of the word, they can't move forward with their lives...enough is enough."
（暂无翻译）
Jorge Paixao, a 19-year-old history student, described the situation as "a societal crisis."
（暂无翻译）
He said his generation needed "the ability to live with dignity, start families and rejuvenate Portugal."
（暂无翻译）
The demonstrations come amid growing anger over housing affordability and living costs across several European countries.
（暂无翻译）
Protesters in Portugal have sought to align their movement with similar demonstrations in neighboring Spain.
（暂无翻译）
In Madrid, activists maintain a tent camp to call for stronger action to tackle the housing crisis. The crisis was sparked by the eviction ofMaria del Carmen Abascal from her home.
（暂无翻译） （暂无翻译）
The nearly four weeks of protests in Spain have contributed to political turmoil, leading to a snap general election being called for November 29.
（暂无翻译）
Meanwhile, demonstrations over rising living costs have also taken place in France, Belgium and Italy.
（暂无翻译）
Violence that erupted in France over the weekend on the sidelines of otherwise peaceful protests has raised concerns that similar unrest could spread to other countries facing comparable economic pressures.
（暂无翻译）
If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you'll always see our verified news first.
（暂无翻译）
仅供学习使用，如有侵权请联系删除 · 查看原文