The Public Prosecutor (MP) considered that there was no evidence in the case of the seven protesters for the right to housing held in Porto and sent the records for a common process, according to lawyer Ricardo Salazar.
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02/11/2026
by
Lusa
O Public prosecutors (MP) considered that “they lacked evidence” in the case of the seven protesters for the right to housing held on Sunday in Porto, and sent the records for a common process, explained today lawyer Ricardo Salazar.
“The prosecutor [of the Public Prosecutor] thought that evidence was missing and, by order, decided that it is not possible these evidence evidence to be collected in time for a summary process, so he chose to send these records to a common process,” said Ricardo Salazar, who represents the demonstrators.
At the door of the Court of Small Criminal Instance of Porto, where the detainees appeared today around 10:00, the lawyer explained that this decision means that “there will be no trial so soon” and that they do not know if, “after due diligence, there can be no filing”.
The lawyer also shared that it seems to him that “if they are mixing things”, since the people were arrested for the alleged crime of disobedience and that the evidence “does not have to do with it”, but without specifying the reason why the court asked for further evidence.
“ I think we have to be very careful, we have to be very strict and that is where I am talking (...). I want this process to be a fair, fair process and a process in which every eye in the country may be following. I hope the DA doesn't ask for a secret of justice. Asking for a secret of justice in this process is to silence your work,” I also told journalists.
Lawyer Ricardo Salazar spoke today alongside lawyers Margarida Ferreira, Tiago Machado and Óscar Bártolo, who also represent the protesters who had been arrested early on Sunday.
At the beginning of this morning, Ricardo Salazar had claimed to believe that the process would be filed, following a sentence of the Lisbon Administrative Court in which it is considered that the limit of 00:30 for demonstrations is not “absolute and automatic”, authorizing a protester to remain at dawn in Rossio, in Lisbon, with a tent.
The 13 people arrested on Sunday, following the police intervention to demobilize the camps in Lisbon and Porto by the right to housing, were notified to attend court today.
Police operations took place simultaneously on Sunday morning when the PSP dispersed people, removed the tents and emptied the public space in the square D. João I, in Porto, and in Rossio, in Lisbon.
In Porto, the protesters arrested by the PSP in square D. João I were, by 10:00, in the Court of Small Criminal Instance of Porto and in Lisbon will have to be at 2:00, in the Campus of Justice.
Lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes, one of the interlocutors in the defense of demonstrators in Lisbon, announced that he will make a criminal complaint against the Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, and against the national director of PSP, Pedro Moura, contesting the legality and the use of force in police action.
Police actions resulted in episodes of tension and confrontation, with the arrest of seven protesters in Porto and six in Lisbon, as well as injuries by 13 PSP agents and several protesters.
In Lisbon, just minutes after the start of the police load of the PSP, with petards and batonadas, the square D. Pedro V was empty. The protesters were kicked out by the various accesses to Rossio.
In Porto, PSP destroyed the camp set up in square D. João I. The protesters resisted, shouting that their action was peaceful as the police force advanced, using batons and dogs, pushing them to the street Dr. Magellan Lemos.
According to the INEM, 25 people were assisted following the police load in camped by the right to housing in both cities.