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Thousands of people gathered outside Portugal’s parliament on Tuesday to demand action on the country’s deepening housing crisis, AnewZ reported. Protesters also condemned recent police operations against housing activists. On the same day, lawmakers began debating the government’s draft 2027 budget.
The demonstration came amid rising rents and property prices, as well as concerns about access to affordable housing. Young people struggling to buy or rent homes are particularly affected.
Organizers said several thousand people took part in the protest near parliament. Police did not release an official estimate of the crowd size.
The protest followed the dismantling on Sunday of camps set up by housing activists in Lisbon and Porto. Police used batons to clear the camps, prompting activists and human rights advocates to accuse officers of using excessive force.
Portugal has become one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets relative to income. Residential property prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents agreed in new contracts have roughly doubled over the same period. Critics say wages have not kept pace, leaving many households under increasing financial strain.
The problem has become particularly acute for younger generations as access to the housing market grows more difficult.
Actress Erica Rodrigues, who joined the protest, said the crisis affects people of different age groups. “The cost of living in Portugal is very high compared with what people earn. It is unbearable,” Rodrigues said.
She also criticized the government’s approach: “I congratulate the government on the clown show it has put on recently. It has done a very poor job.”
Protesters oppose rent and eviction rules
Many demonstrators criticized a government-backed bill that would speed up eviction procedures for tenants and remove price caps on new rental contracts.
The bill recently passed its first stage in parliament. The far-right Chega party abstained in the vote.
Protesters called for the bill to be withdrawn, saying it would further undermine housing security when affordability was already under pressure.
Unemployed protester Joao Martins, 39, said demonstrators were fighting for “decent and affordable housing for everyone.” He called for a budget that served the interests of the wider public, rather than a privileged minority.
“We are fighting for a state budget that truly reflects the interests of the majority of the population, not a few privileged people,” Martins said.
Martins said demonstrators were also defending civil liberties after the police operations. “We are also here to defend the right to protest, which has been seriously threatened in recent days,” he added.
The weekend clashes have drawn the attention of oversight and judicial authorities. Portugal’s police oversight body, IGAI, has opened an inquiry into the operations. Prosecutors are separately examining police officers’ conduct during the raids.
Police said 11 people were slightly injured, including three officers. The housing rights group Casa para Viver (“A Home to Live In”) disputed that figure, saying about 60 people were injured while the camps were being dismantled. The conflicting accounts are expected to be considered as part of the ongoing inquiries.
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who leads the centre-right minority government, defended the police intervention in a speech to parliament. He said officers had acted in line with established legal and operational standards and that the measures met the principles of necessity and proportionality.
The government’s position is unlikely to dispel housing activists’ accusations that authorities are prioritizing enforcement over resolving the affordability crisis.
Protests bring Europe’s housing crisis into focus
The demonstrations in Portugal echo similar protests elsewhere in Europe, including Spain, where governments face public anger over worsening housing shortages, rising rents and the cost of living.
Housing has become a major political issue across the continent, particularly in large cities where demand exceeds supply.
In Portugal, pressure is mounting on the government to address affordability while taking public finances and broader economic priorities into account.
The 2027 budget is being debated in parliament, while investigations into this week’s police operations continue. Housing policy and the government’s response to the protests are expected to remain central to Portugal’s political debate in the coming weeks.
