Protesters decide not to stay overnight in Rossio, but still in protest

Oprotesters gathered in a popular assembly in Praça do Rossio, in Lisbon, today approved by a majority not to stay in the street, remaining in protest until midnight and midnight.

The proposal whether or not to stay overnight in Rossio was put to the vote in the popular assembly, having generated some debate between those who defended overnight and those who preferred to go to rest after five nights in the square.

The majority voted for not staying overnight to go to rest to gather forces for the Saturday demonstration.

At the beginning of the assembly, a spokesperson of the organization informed those present of the indications that had been given by the police, that from midnight and a half they could remain without tents, that is, sleeping the quiet as happened the night before.

In addition to this decision, the protesters also approved a new claim on the list they have been defending, which is to limit local accommodation in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Porto Metropolitan Area.

During the open intervention period, criticism was heard of today’s statements by the president of the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), Benjamin Pereira, who said he doubted whether the “current society is available for the level of sacrifice” that previous generations made to have a home.

An appeal was also made to attend the County District in Marvila on Friday at 18:00 to protest the eviction of a widow with two minor children from a municipal house, by Gebalis – a municipal housing management company.

Some participants also defended for the realization of an Iberian general strike.

By 9:30, the popular assembly was still taking place.

Between demonstrations and so-called camped demonstrations, with hundreds or thousands of protesters, the current protests against the housing crisis began in Porto on October 10 and expanded to Lisbon, but they have also motivated concentrations in other cities, days after the parliamentary approval of the new rental law, now under discussion in the specialty.

The initiatives, promoted by civic movements and spread across social networks, demand measures that respond to the crisis in the sector, the control of the prices of essential goods and fuels and defend taxes on the extraordinary profits of large companies in the banking sector.

On October 15, the protesting movement in Porto, with a camp, denounced a violent police charge during the early hours that caused injuries in 39 of the participants, two of whom were in a serious state, and in a police officer. In Lisbon, the authorities removed dozens of Rossio tents early in the morning of Tuesday and held 55 demonstrators, who will be present to judge on 27.

Protest promoters promise to stay on the streets.