Port demonstration with thousands of people of all ages

Mislanders of people descended this afternoon to Rua de Santa Catarina, in Porto, for the right to housing, in a noisy protest, with people of all ages, and marked by phrases addressed to the government and police.

The protesters began by leaving Marquis Square at 15:50 p.m., in slow march, at a time when thousands of people were already in the garden of that square and many more joined in the route that will end in D. João I Square, in a procession that at first had a poster where read “They will not rob us of the right to live.”.

Later, but as noisy as the others, followed the entourage of the Porto camp, with a tent on high and repeating the phrases that guided the fight that started on October 10 for decent housing for everyone.

In the procession there were people of all ages, from children to the elderly, next to posters where they read “Home is right and not privilege” and to sing one of the hymns of the camp of Porto “teto, right ground to housing”.

In front of everyone, a poster drew attention: “The return of tyrants. The government heated rabid dogs against the people”, which José Antunes sometimes turned to protesters sometimes to PSP agents who followed further ahead.

“ That's an obvious phrase. The violence by the police of shock against a people who claim only their rights. It's a shame. The cowardice on the part of the government and the police itself is inadmissible in the rule of law ", replied to Lusa when asked about the phrase she chose for the demonstration.

In affirming “completely solidarity” with those who are demonstrating a little throughout the country today, José Antunes revealed that “he is not defending the rights of any family member, for fortunately he has none to pay unbearable rents, but of all people who are in difficulties”.

“ I know many people who live this problem, it is for them that I am here”, he added.

More than 30 cities in Portugal go out today for the “right to live”, within the scope of the national demonstration called by that platform, which requires the reversal of the new rental law, among other measures.

“They will not rob us of the right to live” is the common motto of the 32 protests for the right to housing that will take place in Angra do Heroísmo, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Caldas da Rainha, Coimbra, Covilhã, Évora, Faro, Funchal (morning concentration and afternoon demonstration, Grândola, Guarda, Guimarães, Horta, Leiria, Lisbon, Marinha Grande, Nazaré, Ponta Delgada, Portalegre, Portimão, Samora Correia, Santarém, Setúbal, Sines, Torres Novas, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real and Viseu.

To the housing policies adopted by the Government, Casa Para Viver, a platform that brings together a hundred associations and collectives for housing and has already mobilized thousands of people on the streets on several dates, over the last three years, counterproposes more regulation: of rents, contracts, evictions, return homes, local housing, property speculation.