The key facts

  • Protesters pitched tents in Lisbon's Rossio Square and spent the night there, demanding government action on the housing crisis.
  • Some participants feared a possible police eviction but said they intended to continue the action.
  • Demonstrators, including students, pointed to rising rents; 49-year-old Ivan Silva noted that €180 for an apartment in 2015 would today not even cover the rent of a mattress.

Tent camp in central Lisbon

Over the past weekend, protesters pitched tents in Lisbon's Rossio Square to draw attention to the housing crisis in Portugal and demand action from the government. The demonstrators spent the night on the square. According to Euronews, some of them expressed concerns about a possible police eviction, but said they intended to continue their campaign.

Rising rents

Students and other participants of the action said that rising rents are making housing increasingly unaffordable. 49-year-old odd-jobber Ivan Silva, who earns about €1,000 a month, described his situation: in 2015 he rented a 20-square-metre apartment for €180, while today, in his words, that amount would not even cover the rent of a mattress.