Coins determine Rossio's camp exit. Cambra counters

O president of the Lisbon City Council today determined, in dispatch, the departure of the Lisbon Camp of Rossio and Renata Cambra denounced that the Municipal Police went to Praça D. Pedro IV to withdraw the tents.

After requesting an opinion from PSP, Carlos Coins, through an order signed today and to which Lusa had access, determined “that the demonstration ‘Acampada de Lisboa’ should go to one of the following places: Largo S. Domingos, Praça Martim Moniz or Restauradores” so that the Christmas market can be installed.

This decision was taken after PSP issued an opinion that gave the green light to the installation of the Christmas market in Rossio and that, according to the document consulted by Lusa, it considered ‘that both initiatives are irreconcilable in the same place’ – encamped and market.

‘It is the understanding of the PSP that alternative venues for meeting/manifestation should be presented to the promoters of the protest on the right of housing, suggesting one of the following: Praça Martim Moniz, Praça dos Restauradores or Largo de S. Domingos”, said PSP in the opinion sent to the City Hall of Lisbon.

Also today, and according to the complaint sent by Renata Cambra to the Administrative Court of the Circle of Lisbon, at 16:20, “a Municipal Police officer went to Praça D. Pedro IV and told the applicant [Renata Cambra] that the police would intervene to execute the dispatch” and remove the tents mounted there.

According to the complaint, advanced by the Observer and consulted by Lusa, the mayor of Lisbon is not complying with the decision of the Lisbon Administrative Court, which authorized the protester to put tents in Rossio until 24 November, day of the vote of the State Budget for 2027.

Now, Renata Cambra asked the court to declare void the order signed by Carlos Coins and that PSP and the Municipal Police should "adopt any measures of dispersion, cessation, removal or displacement of the demonstration".

According to the ruling of the Lisbon Administrative Court, with a date of Monday, the protest may continue until 24 November 2026, the date scheduled for the final vote of the State Budget for 2027, including between 00:30 and 06:30, and will have to be articulated with the Christmas market scheduled for Rossio.

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.

The protesters demand, among other things, the reversal of the new rental law, a stop to housing purchase by real estate funds and “truely accessible” roofs to income.