The key facts

  • CGTP held marches in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra under the slogan 'Higher wages, better pensions and public services'
  • In Porto, about 100 young housing activists joined the march; movement spokesperson Cristiana Leal said the mobilization would continue
  • Socialist Party leader José Luís Carneiro called for clarification of Thursday's police operation, which is being reviewed by the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration

Demonstrations in three cities

On October 17, 2026, demonstrations against the rising cost of living took place in Portugal, organized by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (CGTP) together with housing rights movements. The trade union confederation called for protests under the slogan: 'Higher wages, better pensions and public services. Against the rising cost of living. A new course for Portugal!'. Marches were held in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra.

Porto and Coimbra

In Porto, the march began around 10:30 from Praça da Batalha and ended at Praça D. João I, where protests against the housing crisis had been held all week. According to Anadolu, several thousand people took part in the march; about 100 young housing activists joined the column with placards and a tent symbolizing their campaign — they were greeted with applause. Housing movement spokesperson Cristiana Leal said the mobilization would continue until living conditions improve; a people's assembly was scheduled on the square at 19:00 (17:00 GMT). One of the organizers, Pedro Manuel, emphasized that the citizens' assembly is independent of parties and is a response to the 'abuse of power' and a way to say 'enough of this crisis'. In Coimbra, the rally began at Portugal dos Pequenitos and was to end at Praça 8 de Maio in front of the city hall.

Lisbon

In the capital, thousands of participants were expected at the march scheduled for 14:30 local time from Cais do Sodré to Rossio Square; the column was led by CGTP general secretary Tiago Oliveira. Demonstrators chanted slogans against low wages and rising rents; a housing tent camp was planned on Rossio at 17:00 (15:00 GMT). Oliveira told the Lusa agency that the actions were taking place because of the 'brutal rise' in housing prices and the cost of living, and also warned of the 'degradation of public services', calling the protest an opportunity for citizens to 'fight against the government's policy'. The Mayor of Lisbon, calling the reasons for the protests a 'just cause', warned that the actions must take place 'within the framework of the law'. The CGTP representative in Coimbra told the SICN television channel that even a basic food basket had reached an 'exorbitant price'. Left Bloc MP José Manuel Pureza, in a comment to Associated Press, noted that people are demanding discussion of the right to housing for everyone — those whose rents are rising and whose mortgages are increasingly hard to fit into the family budget — and that the protests are 'always peaceful'.

Context and politicians' reaction

The demonstrations took place after a police operation early on Thursday morning dispersed the housing tent camp in Porto. Socialist Party leader José Luís Carneiro expressed solidarity with the protesters, called for the actions to be held responsibly and demanded that law enforcement use proportionate force, as well as clarification of Thursday's police intervention, which is being reviewed by the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration. Rising prices, fuel costs and the shortage of affordable housing have sparked a wave of protests across Europe; on the same day, large demonstrations against the cost of living in France, according to Euronews, escalated into clashes between protesters and police.