Police clear new Lisbon housing protest camp after thousands rally

Protesters had pitched more than 50 tents in Rossio Square after a ​march through central Lisbon on Saturday that drew thousands.

Around 4:30 a.m.(0430 GMT), dozens of officers, some with police dogs, moved in on the tent camp after police commander Iuri Rodrigues warned protesters three times that the illegally ​erected tents would be dismantled if not removed and that those who resisted could face disobedience ​charges.

Hundreds of protesters shielding the tent camp were dispersed by police using shields and some baton charges. Separately, police ‌dismantled a ⁠similar, though smaller, tent camp in Porto's Dom Joao I square.

Earlier, Socialist lawmaker Pedro Delgado Alves said Rossio Square was peaceful and that nothing justified "a police intervention involving force, physical violence or baton charges, the kind of scenes we witnessed last week. "Police have been criticized for baton-charging demonstrators and arresting ​dozens while clearing tent camps ​in the same ⁠squares a week ago.

SCRAP THE BILLThe protesters are demanding the government scrap a bill making evictions easier and ending rent caps on new leases, which passed ​a first parliamentary reading with the abstention of the far-right Chega party.

Prime ​Minister Luis ⁠Montenegro on Thursday ruled out scrapping the bill but said he was open to amending it ahead of a final vote in coming weeks, saying parties "have to move closer" while making clear "the main line ⁠of ​action is the government's programme".

Socialist Party leader Jose Luis Carneiro ​urged the government on Saturday to engage in talks with opposition parties and protesters rather than "arrogantly imposing its views, sometimes ​even with authoritarian overtones".