Thousands fill Praça do Rossio in Lisbon and prepare “mega camped”

Mislanders of protesters for the right to housing occupied today, since about 6:30 p.m., all of Praça do Rossio, in Lisbon, and began to build tents behind the statue of D. Pedro IV.

Stage of the protests promoted by the popular movement Campada de Lisboa since Saturday, Praça D. Pedro IV (Rossio) has again today welcomed “a sea of people” that demands government solutions for the current housing crisis.

“Oh Montenegro, I want to have a salary and a house to live” and “Oh Montenegro, pay attention, your houses will become occupation”, shouted the thousands of people present in the square.

At the microphone, the spokespersons of the Lisbon Camp warned that whoever brought tent could start riding behind the statue of D. Pedro IV, the front of the square being reserved for concentration for the popular assembly.

“We will create a mega camp in Rossio”, they appealed, being already visible dozens of tents assembled.

Having behind a great banner to say “general strike for housing”, the spokesmen of the Lisbon Camp made echo slogans, as “the united people will never be defeated” and “we are many, many thousand, to continue April”, “25 April always, fascism never again”.

“It is camped, general strike, direct action that overthrows the capital” and “below Montenegro that will fall, will fall, and live the camp to resist, to resist”, shouted the protesters, referring to the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro (PSD).

Among the challenge to the housing crisis, “Palestine will win”.

At the same time, dozens of young people raise protest signs on the statue of Pedro IV.

Before the popular assembly, thousands of people participated in the demonstration “We have no home, we have set up tents!”, who left from the Marquis de Pombal towards Praça do Rossio, where, since Saturday, the Lisbon Camp has gathered every day, except for Friday, the day he concentrated in the District of the County, to demand measures to solve the housing crisis.

In concrete demands to the Government, the Lisbon Camp aims to reverse the rental law, the end of demolitions and evictions without alternative housing and to stop the purchase of housing by real estate funds.

In addition, the increase in public housing, the application of ceilings to rents, and the public initiative to recover devoid of housing properties are required.

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.