Police clear new Lisbon housing protest camp after thousands rally

Police moved into Lisbon's Rossio Square on Sunday to clear a tent camp erected after thousands marched demanding Portugal's minority centre-right government withdraw a rental bill they say would worsen the country's housing crisis.



Portugal is grappling with one of Europe's worst housing crises, with young people among those hardest hit. House prices have more than doubled since 2017 and rents for new leases have nearly doubled.



Protests over soaring housing costs have intensified in Portugal in recent weeks, mirroring similar unrest sweeping across Spain, France, Germany and elsewhere in Europe.



Protesters had pitched more than 50 tents in Rossio Square after a march through central Lisbon on Saturday that drew thousands.



Around 4:30 a.m., dozens of officers, some with police dogs, moved in on the tent camp after police commander Iuri Rodrigues warned protesters three times that the illegally erected tents would be dismantled if not removed and that those who resisted could face disobedience charges.