Camp of Lisbon rejects leaving Rossio during Christmas market

A popular assembly of the Lisbon Camp today decided not to leave Rossio square during the realization of the Christmas market and urge Carlos Coins to find another location for the initiative.

This was one of the proposals discussed and approved in the 17th popular assembly promoted movement for the right to housing, which was attended by several hundred people.

The vast majority voted in favor of not leaving the square during the realization of the Christmas market marked for the same place, from mid-November.

The decision arises after the judicial decision that authorized a protester to remain in the square until 24 November.

The mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins, said on Monday that “the decisions of the court are to comply”, but found it difficult to reconcile the demonstration with the Christmas market.

“ We will have a Christmas fair, which is a traditional fair of our city, and we will have to make some decision, since it is clearly not possible to have a Christmas fair and at the same time a demonstration ", he considered.

Carlos Coins also said that, from what he understood from the decision of the judge of the Administrative and Tax Court (TAF) of Lisbon, the attempt to reconcile the right to housing with the Christmas market in Praça D. Pedro IV seems “very difficult”.

“It’s a Christmas fair that is the responsibility of our Lower Pombalina Association and, therefore, they will have to make a decision,” he said.

The TAF considered, on Sunday, that the limit of 00:30 for demonstrations is not “absolute and automatic”, authorizing a protester to stay at dawn in Rossio, in Lisbon, with a tent.

According to the sentence, which Lusa had access to today, the protest may continue until 24 November 2026, the date scheduled for the final vote of the State Budget for 2027, including between 12:30 and 6:30, and will have to be articulated with the Christmas Market scheduled for Rossio.