The gatherings are part of a growing movement opposing high housing costs and proposed changes to rental legislation in Portugal, where demonstrations and protest camps have continued for several weeks.

Organisers in both cities say they want to draw international attention to the difficulties faced by people struggling to find affordable homes in Portugal.

The demonstrations are being coordinated by Portuguese emigrant groups supporting the Acampadas movement, which has organised tent protests and public assemblies in several Portuguese cities.

Demonstrations outside Portuguese diplomatic offices

In Brussels, the demonstration has been organised by Acampada Solidarity Belgium, an informal collective of Portuguese emigrants, with support from the Brussels branch of the Associação José Afonso.

The gathering is scheduled for 5:30 pm local time, or 4:30 pm in mainland Portugal, outside the Portuguese Embassy on Avenue de Cortenbergh.

Organisers describe the demonstration as a symbolic act of solidarity with housing campaigners in Portugal.

A separate protest will take place in London, where members of Acampada Solidarity London are planning to gather outside the Portuguese Consulate-General in Portland Place.

The London demonstration is scheduled between 5pm and 8pm local time, the same time as mainland Portugal.

The organisers also intend to deliver a letter setting out the movement’s demands to Portuguese diplomatic representatives, including the ambassador to the United Kingdom and the consuls-general in London and Manchester.

Both groups say the demonstrations are intended to show that concern over Portugal’s housing situation extends to Portuguese communities living abroad.

Housing demonstrations continue in Portugal

The international gatherings follow weeks of protests across Portugal, particularly in Lisbon and Porto.

Demonstrators have called for measures to make housing more affordable, including restrictions on rent increases, greater investment in public housing and stronger protections for tenants facing eviction.

They are also demanding that the government withdraw proposed changes to rental legislation, arguing that the measures could weaken existing protections.

On 31 October, thousands of demonstrators marched through Lisbon before establishing a protest camp in Rossio Square.

Police cleared the encampment during the early hours of November 1, while officers also intervened at a separate camp in Porto.

The operations resulted in arrests and injuries, prompting criticism from demonstrators and questions about the policing of public protests.

Portuguese authorities have defended the need to enforce public-order rules, while campaigners have argued that their encampments are a legitimate form of peaceful protest.

The dispute subsequently reached the courts.

A Lisbon administrative court authorised one protester, Renata Cambra, to maintain her tent in Rossio Square under specific conditions.

However, the decision applied to her individual circumstances and did not establish a general right for groups to occupy public spaces with tents.

Protest movement changes its approach

The Acampada de Lisboa movement announced on November 9 that it would remove its tents from Rossio overnight while continuing demonstrations elsewhere in the capital.

Campaigners said the decision did not represent an end to their activities.

Further gatherings are planned in different parts of Lisbon, including a demonstration connected to the Web Summit technology conference on November 11.

The movement also intends to participate in a national housing demonstration organised by the Casa para Viver platform on November 14.

In Porto, campaigners have continued occupying Praça D. João I, where the planned installation of a Christmas market ice rink has created a further dispute over the use of public space.

Housing affordability remains a national concern

Portugal has experienced substantial increases in housing costs over recent years, placing pressure on households seeking to rent or purchase property.

According to Reuters, Portuguese house prices have more than doubled since 2017, while rents for new tenancy agreements have nearly doubled over the same period.

The increases have been particularly difficult for younger people and households whose earnings have not kept pace with housing costs.

The government has proposed changes intended to address the housing market, but some measures have faced opposition from tenant organisations and campaigners concerned about their effects on renters.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has rejected calls to withdraw the proposed rental legislation, although he has indicated that amendments could be considered during the parliamentary process.

The demonstrations in London and Brussels add an international dimension to the campaign, with Portuguese emigrants seeking to make their concerns heard by the government through its diplomatic representatives.

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