Portugal: Protesters Return After Police Clear Tent Camps
The Facts
- Demonstrators refilled Lisbon's Rossio Square and Porto's Dom João Square on Sunday after pre-dawn police operations that cleared tent camps. The U.S. Embassy in Portugal issued a security alert advising people to avoid these two areas.
- Previously, officers with dogs and shields moved into Rossio Square around 4:30 a.m. local time after three warnings for protesters to remove dozens of tents pitched there, following a march through central Lisbon against a rental bill. Authorities also cleared a smaller camp in Porto.
- Police reported the arrest of six people in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing dispersal orders, and that 13 of its officers, including three working in plainclothes, were injured in clashes. Activist group Acampada Lisboa said more than 30 protesters were hurt.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Left narrative
Peaceful protests over the housing crisis deserve protection, yet demonstrators have been met with violence. Police using batons to clear a camp is a disproportionate, illegal response to people who can't afford a roof. When a government beats down anyone who questions real estate speculation, it makes clear that it has lost any claim to legitimacy.
Right narrative
The law applies to everyone, and camping in public space after repeated police requests to clear out is a choice to ignore it. The fact that demonstrators showed up with gear meant for squaring off with officers says plenty about the goal here. They chased chaos and provocation does nothing for any cause worth defending, and they got precisely what they wanted.