Port House says that ice rink was decided before the Camp

A decision to install an ice rink in Praça D. João I was made before starting the Camp, told Lusa today the City of Porto, but the runway was planned for Largo Amor de Perdição.

“The option to re-enter Praça D. João I in the Christmas programming was developed internally during the preparation of the program, and the negotiation meeting with the representative associations of the sector took place on October 6, following a call sent on September 24 by Agora – Culture and Sport of Porto”, says a response from the City Hall sent to Lusa.

According to the written answer, the installation of the ice rink in that place, not in Largo Amor de Perdição where it has happened in previous years, is based on the “model already carried out in 2019”.

Lusa consulted a public tender, published in Diário da República in May, whose specifications, for the supply of energy and electrical equipment, mentioned the installation of the ice rink in Largo Amor de Perdição/Cordoaria, and this procedure “was awarded on June 17, 2026”.

“As regards the technical conditions of Praça D. João I, Agora has the capacity to ensure the necessary infrastructure with its own means, as has happened in other initiatives carried out in that space. For this reason, the final configuration of the programming does not require the use of all the energy connections initially provided in the specifications”, can be read in the answer.

The autarchy did not answer questions about when, in concrete, the decision was made to change from place to place, and as to the reasons, it listed an articulation of Christmas fun “with the business associations of the sector, through a protocol that is in finalization and that also covers Largo Amor de Perdição and Rotunda da Boavista”.

The Chamber has a “strategy to extend Christmas programming to different areas of the city and to strengthen the involvement of the various urban spaces”, says the written response.

“ As in initiatives of this dimension, the initial planning, which mirrored that of the previous year, is subsequently adjusted according to the final configuration of the program and the concrete needs of the events, in the context of contractual execution ", clarifies.

The municipality stresses that “the decision to put a clue in Praça D. João I was prior to the realization of the various demonstrations for housing”, and therefore the municipality “recognizes the need to meet with protesters, whose right to demonstrate is unquestionable, due to the need to reconcile the two initiatives, finding balanced solutions”.

“ For this same reason, the City Hall of Porto informed the protesters several days ago about the implementation of this initiative and the start of the assemblies, predictably, on 13 November. The protesters have already been formally invited – four times – to a working meeting, which allows to articulate and discuss the conditions that the festive season imposes in the realization of the demonstration, in an attempt to reconcile the two initiatives ", add.

On Thursday, several protesters refused, in participations that made in the popular assembly, the possibility of leaving the square, and a spokesman confirmed that they received from the city of Porto an alert for the start of the assemblies of these infrastructures.

“ The preparation of the different spaces and structures that integrate the Christmas program will take place gradually, with the start of assembly work on November 13, at different points throughout the city. ... Among the main centers of the program will be Avenida dos Aliados, with concerts and light shows, Largo Amor de Perdição, with a space dedicated to family programming, workshops and shows, Mouzinho de Albuquerque Square, in Boavista, which will host the Fantasy Square, and D. João I Square, which receives the traditional ice track ", said the locality to Lusa on Friday.

The current protests against the housing crisis began in Porto on October 10 and have expanded to Lisbon, but have also motivated concentrations in other cities.

The PSP's action to disperse the campgrounds and remove the tents in Rossio, in Lisbon, and in Praça D. João I, in Porto, led to dozens of arrests and caused dozens of wounded, motivating criticism from various quadrants.

The Public Prosecutor has meanwhile asked the Constitutional Court to assess the constitutionality of the 1974 rule which states that a demonstration has the time limit at 00:30.