The ombudsman asked the National Directorate of the PSP urgently about the police charge to protesters in Praça D. João I, in Porto, early on October 15.
© Lusa
18/10/2026
by
Lusa
A ombudsman asked the National Directorate of the PSP urgently about the police load on protesters who camped in Praça D. João I, in Porto, for the right to housing, early on October 15.
In a note published on its ‘site’, the institution points out that the ombudsman, Luísa Neto, asked for “a set of information and documents regarding the operation triggered by 3:00 p.m.” during the demonstration “By the Principle of Dignity of the Human Person; by the Right to Housing and Freedom of Expression and Information”.
The note dates from October 16th, a day after the events.
Louise Neto will assess whether the intervention of PSP was, or not, compatible with the right of assembly and demonstration, which, in this press release, the provider underlines to be a fundamental right.
“ Once qualified with these elements, the Ombudsman will examine the compatibility between the police intervention and the fundamental right of meeting and demonstration. It is recalled that this is a constitutional right protected by Article 45 of the Constitution, falling on the State – and therefore also on the security forces – a duty to guarantee its free exercise in the framework of Decree-Law No 406/74 of 29 August”, he says.
The police charge caused injuries in 39 of the participants, two of whom were in serious condition, and also injured a police officer.
On the night of Thursday, from 19:00, about 3,000 people concentrated to manifest themselves by the right to housing in the center of Porto, following a camp that began the previous Saturday, October 10, and which was the target of a municipal cleaning intervention on Monday, 12, and a police charge early on Thursday, 15.
The organization of the camp ensured that it was always peaceful and the PSP defended that there was “resistance”.
Hours after the police intervention, the mayor of Porto, Pedro Duarte, stated that the PSP was “forced” to carry on protesters, considering that “one thing is the right to demonstration, to protest, and another quite distinct is disrespect and non-compliance, particularly when it is ostentatious, of the law”.
The movement maintained protests in the following days and demonstrations took place in other places of the country, having occurred a camp in Lisbon last night, from Saturday to today, in Praça do Rossio, under the motto “Can’t you? Then set up your tent.