Porto encampment refuses to vacate the square to make way for the ice rink

Accampades in Lisbon and Porto have refused to move to make way for the setup of Christmas markets.

The protestor camps categorically refuse to vacate their location to free up space for the organization of Christmas fairs.

The question of whether the protest camp should vacate D. João I Square to make way for a Christmas market became one of the central themes of today's assembly. Some participants refused to leave the protest site chosen on October 10th.

At the end of the assembly, a movement representative, Henrique Teixeira, confirmed that the email sent by the Porto municipality inviting them to a meeting on Tuesday mentioned 'Christmas events,' but without any details.

He added, referencing the letter, that 'we know that in previous years this space, from amusement park rides to markets... has been used. There is an indication that some things will be placed there, yes.'

Another issue relates to the approaching rain, a situation which the movement leader downplayed by reminding that 'thousands of homeless people in Portugal will continue to sleep on the streets,' even despite the precipitation.

Henrique Teixeira assured: 'Therefore, I believe this is a false assumption. The fight for decent housing continues, whether it is rain or sun. Naturally, we will continue our struggle, our peaceful and orderly resistance (...) wet rain will not stop us, fools, so that we can do something.'

When asked if the camp would lose momentum with the onset of rains, the movement representative expressed confidence that 'the resilience of people who have been protesting for almost a month will be maintained.'

The current protests against the housing crisis began in Porto on October 10th and have spread to Lisbon, as well as causing concentrations in other cities.

Police actions (PSP) to disperse camps and remove tents in Rossio in Lisbon and on D. João I Square in Porto have led to dozens of arrests and injuries to dozens of people, which has drawn criticism from various circles.

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor's Office has appealed to the Constitutional Court to assess the constitutionality of a 1974 regulation that limits demonstration time to 00:30.

Six initial proposals regarding national housing policy were expanded to nine demands after incorporating contributions from Habitação Hoje and Chão das Lutas.

The first demand is the abolition of the rental law; the second is 'cessation of evictions and demolitions without alternative housing'; the third remains 'a brake on property acquisition through investment funds'; the fourth is the increase of the state housing fund with subsidized rent instead of affordable rent; the fifth is 'state recovery of abandoned properties.'

The sixth demand is the implementation of a 'rent cap based on real income'; the seventh is 'introduction of pressure mechanisms for renting vacant homes'; the eighth is 'cessation of tax benefits for real estate speculation'; and the ninth is 'prohibition and revocation of licenses for local residence in residential premises.'