Protesters Set Up Tents in Lisbon to Protest Rising Housing Costs

Protesters set up dozens of tents in central Lisbon on Saturday, demanding measures to limit housing and living costs in Portugal, in a move that extends the ongoing wave of protests in neighboring Spain for weeks.

Hundreds of protesters gathered overnight in Rossio Square in the Portuguese capital, following marches involving thousands across the country.

The protesters, mostly young people, pledged to stay in the square all night, with hundreds singing songs while sitting around the statue of King Pedro IV in the center of the square, according to AFP.

Elena Costa, a 46-year-old social worker, said, "The Portuguese social class that pays taxes and drives the country is being targeted and having its rights stripped away, especially its right to housing."

Antonio Margado, a 52-year-old engineer, criticized the center-right government, condemning the "full liberalization of rents."

He said: "Landlords are receiving more protection, while protections for tenants who desperately need housing are declining."

Housing prices in Portugal rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, nearly double the average increase in the European Union, according to official data.

This rise particularly affects young people, as well as the capital Lisbon, which, including its suburbs, houses about a quarter of Portugal's population of over 11 million.

The tent setup in Lisbon on Saturday follows a protest movement regarding the housing crisis that started in Porto, where dozens of tents were also erected.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said earlier this week, "We fully understand that people want answers," and wish to "express their dissatisfaction with what they see as shortcomings in public policies."

He warned his political opponents against "importing instability and protests into Portugal, even though they do not actually receive any support in Portuguese society," referring to violent protests in France.

The protest movement in Portugal coincides with the fourth week of housing crisis protests in Spain, which led to calls for early legislative elections on November 29.