Several hundred individuals gathered in Praça do Marquês, in Porto, around 3:00 PM today, to participate in a demonstration in defense of the right to housing. This event was organized by the Platform Casa para Viver.
These demonstrators include members of the Porto encampment, a movement started on October 10th in Praça D. João I, which fights for the same central objectives as this demonstration. The gathering is expected to end near 5:00 PM in the square where dozens of tents are located.
Before the start of the demonstration, Raquel Ferreira, a representative of the platform, expressed the desire for it to be 'the biggest demonstration ever held in Porto, gathering thousands of people,' although she acknowledged that around 2:30 PM, the situation was far from that expectation.
When asked about the impact of the Porto struggle in other Portuguese cities, the platform's spokesperson admitted there was a 'awakening of consciousness,' driven even by police action, which was perceived as 'completely disproportionate, unjustifiable, and contrary to everything the Constitution defends.' Raquel Ferreira added that this incident served to increase people's motivation to join the cause.
Regarding the results of the Prime Minister's meetings with the PS and Chega, aimed at finding solutions to the housing crisis, as well as the President of the Republic's reception on Friday, the responsible party presented different views. When asked whether the lack of results in the meetings at São Bento generated disappointment or if the audience in Belém brought hope, she replied that the first part does not constitute a disappointment, given that one cannot expect much more from these parties.
She emphasized that what is needed at this moment is for the parties, specifically the PS, to adopt a clear stance and actively defend the interests of the population. Raquel Ferreira recalled that the PS, during the period when it held an absolute majority, did not take measures or, conversely, contributed to worsening the housing crisis.
More than 30 municipalities in Portugal will take to the streets today in favor of the 'right to live,' as part of the national demonstration called by the aforementioned platform. This demonstration demands the revocation of the new rental law, among other claims.
The unifying slogan of the 32 protests for the right to housing is 'They will not steal our right to live,' and these events will take place in various locations, including Angra do Heroísmo, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Caldas da Rainha, Coimbra, Covilhã, Évora, Faro, Funchal, Grândola, Guarda, Guimarães, Horta, Leiria, Lisbon, Marinha Grande, Nazaré, Ponta Delgada, Portalegre, Portimão, Porto, Samora Correia, Santarém, Setúbal, Sines, Torres Novas, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, and Viseu.
