Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Lisbon, Portugal, demanding that the minority centre-right government withdraw a proposed rental bill they fear would worsen the country’s housing affordability crisis.
The demonstrators gathered at Rossio Square, one of the Portuguese capital’s main public squares, on Saturday, intensifying weeks of protests over rising housing costs and difficulties in securing affordable accommodation.
Organisers said several thousand people participated in the demonstration, although the police did not provide an estimate of the crowd size.
Portugal is facing one of Europe’s worst housing crises, with young people particularly affected. House prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for newly signed leases have almost doubled over the same period.
The protests have intensified in recent weeks following criticism of police over the use of batons against demonstrators and the arrest of dozens of people during the clearance of a similar protest camp in Rossio Square a week earlier.
Rita Silva, a spokesperson for housing movement Casa para Viver, told public broadcaster RTP that protesters had demonstrated remarkable determination despite weeks of demonstrations over the housing crisis, rising living costs and the increasing difficulty of making ends meet.
She accused the government of showing little willingness to listen to their concerns, warning that the demonstrations would continue.
The protests reflect growing public discontent over rising housing costs in other European countries, including Spain, France and Germany.
Portugal’s Interior Minister, Luis Neves, said the government recognised the legitimacy of the demonstrations but expected protesters to maintain order, act responsibly and comply with the law.
PROTESTERS DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF RENTAL BILL
The demonstrators are demanding the withdrawal of a proposed housing bill that would make evictions easier and abolish rent caps on new rental agreements.
The legislation passed its first parliamentary reading with the abstention of the far-right Chega party.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro ruled out withdrawing the bill on Thursday but expressed willingness to consider amendments before the final parliamentary vote in the coming weeks.
He said political parties needed to find common ground, while insisting that the government’s policy priorities would remain the guiding framework for the legislation.
Meanwhile, Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Carneiro urged the government to engage opposition parties and protesters in dialogue rather than impose its position.
He criticised what he described as the government’s arrogant approach, saying some of its actions had taken on authoritarian undertones.
