Lisbon's Housing Camp Folds Its Tents on the Rossio and Takes the Protest to the Web Summit, as Porto's Camp Meets the Council Over a Christmas Ice Rink

Lisbon's housing protest camp took down its tents on the Rossio (Praça D. Pedro IV) on Monday night, 9 November, and says it will now take the protest around the city, starting with a gathering near the Web Summit on Wednesday. The camp in Porto stays on Praça D. João I, and its spokesperson meets the city council today, Tuesday 10 November, to discuss the Christmas ice rink the council wants to install on the same square.

The Lisbon camp, known as the Acampada de Lisboa, pitched its first tents on the Rossio on Saturday 17 October, as we reported at the time. Police cleared the square on 20 October, 25 October and 1 November, RTP reports. The Porto camp has been on Praça D. João I since 10 October, Lusa reports.

Why the Lisbon camp left

The decision came out of a popular assembly (an open meeting where those present vote) of about two hours, ECO reported. Spokesperson António Tonga told ECO that "the assembly decided to lift the tents tonight"; organisers say it is not a retreat.

Two things had changed. On Friday 6 November, Mayor Carlos Moedas ordered the camp off the Rossio to make way for the Christmas market, pointing it to Largo de São Domingos, Martim Moniz or the Restauradores. And the Lisbon Administrative Court has given suspensive effect to the Public Prosecutor's appeal against the ruling that let activist Renata Cambra keep a tent on the square, so that ruling is on hold until the Constitutional Court decides on the 00:30 limit on open-air gatherings, RTP and ECO report. "The right to protest is much bigger than the Rossio," an activist told Lusa, in a report carried by Observador.

What comes next in Lisbon

According to Lusa, the assembly approved a plan of action:

• Tuesday 10 November: a gathering and assembly at Alto de Pina.
• Wednesday 11 November: a protest at the Web Summit venue in Parque das Nações.
• Saturday 14 November: joining the march called by the Casa para Viver platform.
• Saturday 21 November: joining the CGTP union confederation's march on wages, pensions and the cost of living.

Tonga told ECO the movement will decide on Saturday whether future camps will have tents at all, and that a return to the Rossio or another square is not ruled out. The demands are unchanged: reverse the new rental law, curb home buying by property funds and set rent caps that are truly affordable.

Porto: talks over an ice rink

Porto's assembly, held under the arcades opposite the square because of the rain, voted to keep the tents and overnight stays, and to accept a "technical meeting" with the council, Lusa reported via Observador. Mayor Pedro Duarte is expected to attend. Spokesperson João Silvério said the meeting is "only to discuss the compatibility of the camp with the skating rink" and called the council's plan "a little bit of political persecution".

The council says it chose the square for the rink before the camp began, and that the two are hardly compatible. Installation was planned for Friday, and Lusa notes that, unlike the previous three years, no rink contract has appeared in the Diário da República or on the Base public procurement portal.

What it means for you

• Anyone heading to the Web Summit or Parque das Nações on Wednesday should expect a protest near the venue.
• The Rossio is clear of tents, leaving room for the Christmas market planned for the square.
• In Porto, today's meeting decides whether the Christmas ice rink and the camp share Praça D. João I, or whether the standoff continues.