Portuguese police arrest 13 housing protesters
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
Portuguese police cleared camps protesting the housing crisis in Lisbon and Porto on Sunday, arresting 13 protesters and using batons. Thirteen officers were injured, eight of whom were taken to hospital, after bottles, paint and pyrotechnic devices were thrown, according to a police statement cited by AFP.
Portuguese riot police arrested 13 protesters while clearing camps set up in protest against the housing crisis in Lisbon and Porto. Six people were detained in the capital and seven in Porto at around 4.30am on Sunday for refusing to disperse, according to a police statement cited by Agence France-Presse.
Police dismantled dozens of tents in Rossio Square in Lisbon and a smaller camp in Dom João I Square in Porto. Police say protesters threw bottles, paint and pyrotechnic devices, injuring 13 officers, eight of whom were taken to hospital. They also say that three plain-clothes officers were assaulted in Porto.
The Acampada Lisboa collective says that more than 30 protesters were injured, ten of whom had to receive hospital treatment. The protesters are calling on the Portuguese government to abandon plans to make evictions easier and remove rent caps for new leases. The collective has called for another demonstration in Lisbon on Sunday afternoon.
