A popular assembly of housing protesters in Lisbon has voted in favour of resuming overnight stays in Rossio square, according to RTP, which is tracking the wave of demonstrations in the Portuguese capital and Porto. The decision came as the court handling the cases of 55 people detained during a police operation in Lisbon postponed their hearings until the following Tuesday.
RTP reports that the assembly backed the return to overnight camping, though organisers remain concerned about safety conditions at the site. Tents are expected to reappear in the square.
Why it matters
The vote signals that the protest movement, known as Movimento pela Habitação, intends to hold its ground in one of Lisbon's most visible public spaces despite police intervention and dozens of detentions. Housing has moved to the centre of Portuguese political debate, with parties trading accusations in parliament and the government facing pressure over rents and public housing supply.
The dispute also raises questions about how authorities balance the right to protest with rules on public space. The CDS party argued that illegal occupation of public space cannot be allowed, while the Interior Minister, Luís Neves, said the housing shortage affects everyone and that the PSP police force would act "anticipatively," according to RTP.
Detentions and court proceedings
The 55 people detained in Lisbon were due to be heard at the Juízo Local de Pequena Criminalidade, a local court for minor offences. RTP reports that those held could face either an accelerated trial or a suspension of proceedings. The hearings, initially expected to begin in the morning, were pushed to the next Tuesday.
Outside the court, protesters carried the message that the movement is not over, with RTP quoting demonstrators saying "this is not finished" and promising to return to the streets. One protester described the situation as "a great injustice."
The police action drew a public response from the cultural sector. According to RTP, hundreds of people working in culture signed an open letter condemning the violence.
Demonstrations spread beyond the capital
The mobilisation is not confined to Lisbon. RTP reports that a popular assembly in Braga drew around two hundred demonstrators, and that assemblies were scheduled for 19:00 in Porto. The broadcaster described a morning of activity in Porto as part of the evolving protest wave.
International media have also picked up the story. Folha de S.Paulo reported on young people occupying a Lisbon square over the housing crisis and facing police repression, while Estadão reported that activists camped in protest for the right to housing were removed by police from a square in the capital. O GLOBO reported that Brazilians living in Portugal had joined the encampments, framing their participation as a demand for a better life in the country.
Political fallout
The protests have fed directly into parliamentary argument. RTP reports that the Livre party challenged the government to drop the rental law, while Chega blamed the left for the situation. The Communist Party (PCP) accused the government of behaving like a real estate speculator, and the Liberal Initiative (IL) called for an increase in housing supply. Hugo Soares blamed what he described as a million people the Socialist Party (PS) had allowed into the country, while the PS said Portugal is worse off because the right has governed badly.
Immigration and housing featured prominently in an exchange of accusations between IL and PS. Housing also put Livre and Chega on a collision course in parliament, and the opposition approved an urgent debate proposed by Livre against a decision by Aguiar-Branco, the parliamentary speaker.
On the government side, the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, was reported to have shifted from "shouts" to "sympathy" and understanding toward the protesters, and he called party leaders to hearings on social cohesion on 29 October. The Governor of the Bank of Portugal said there is considerable room to increase public housing, and municipalities signalled willingness to help the state expand the public housing stock.
The broader political climate was reflected in the World Justice Project's 2026 Rule of Law Index, which, according to RTP, placed Portugal among countries where authoritarianism is becoming entrenched.
A square under tension
The Rossio has become the symbolic centre of the movement. RTP reported that a man climbed a monument in the square, removed posters and clashed with a protester. Artists joined the demonstrations there, and the return of tents was flagged as imminent even before the assembly vote.
Organisers' concerns about safety conditions suggest the camp's future will depend on how the next police operation and the court hearings unfold.
What to watch: the court's handling of the 55 detainees on Tuesday, and whether the overnight camp in Rossio is allowed to take hold.
