Protesters who in recent days have been camping in the centres of Lisbon and Porto to demand the right to housing were forced to remove their tents and banners after the authorities intervened.
Just before 06:00 local time (07:00 CEST) on Tuesday morning, police vans arrived at Rossio and Praça D. João I and gave demonstrators five to ten minutes to bring the protest to an end. Police said the gatherings were no longer legal. In the capital, there was resistance to the order to disperse, with protesters forming a human chain. Objects were even thrown at officers from the Public Security Police (PSP), who resorted to using batons.
