Concerns are growing over the possibility of further unrest in Portugal as housing protests continue in Porto and organisers prepare for a similar demonstration in Lisbon on Saturday, October 17.
The warnings follow violent confrontations between protesters and police in Porto, where at least 37 demonstrators were reportedly injured during a police operation in Praça D. João I in the early hours of Thursday. Two suffered fractures requiring hospital treatment.
The incidents have raised questions about whether Portugal could experience the kind of escalating street protests seen recently in other European countries, including France, Spain, Belgium and Albania.
Speaking to CNN Portugal, Bruno Pereira, a senior officer in the Public Security Police (PSP) and president of the National Union of Police Officers (SNOP), expressed concern about the potential for unrest to spread.
“If people aren’t worried, I’m starting to be,” he said.
Pereira pointed to what he described as a pattern of “imitation” and “social contagion” among protest movements across Europe, warning that demonstrations could become increasingly confrontational.
His concerns were echoed by Francisco Rodrigues, a colonel and president of the Observatory for Security, Organised Crime and Terrorism (OSCOT), who believes the events in Porto could encourage similar demonstrations elsewhere in Portugal.
He said the organisers’ intention to stage further protests, including Saturday’s planned gathering in Lisbon, suggested that the movement could expand to other parts of the country.
Police say they are prepared
Despite the concerns, both officials believe Portugal’s security forces have the training and operational capacity to respond to serious public disorder.
Pereira highlighted the PSP’s experience in managing demonstrations involving opposing political groups, including protests that have turned violent.
However, he acknowledged that the scale of future demonstrations and the possibility of larger crowds could place additional pressure on police resources.
Rodrigues agreed that Portuguese security forces are equipped to deal with such situations but warned that the “circumstances of any confrontation can change rapidly”.
He explained that police may need time to mobilise reinforcements if demonstrations grow beyond the resources initially deployed.
Risk of further escalation
One of the main challenges facing police, according to Pereira, is deciding when to intervene without making an already tense situation worse.
“Police try to hold back for as long as they can to avoid a response that could escalate the situation,” he told CNN Portugal.
He stressed that public order operations require careful planning, coordination and discipline, with officers acting under a clear chain of command.
Police must also take account of the location, the size and behaviour of crowds, and the potential consequences of intervention.
The continuing protests in Porto and Saturday’s planned demonstration in Lisbon will therefore be closely watched as authorities assess whether the unrest remains localised or develops into a broader wave of demonstrations across Portugal.
While police officials insist the country is prepared to respond, they acknowledge that the scale and intensity of any future confrontations remain difficult to predict.
Organisers warn of “infiltration” at Porto protest
Organisers of the housing protest in Porto ordered demonstrators to disperse in the early hours of Friday, October 16, after alleging that other groups had infiltrated the gathering with the intention of causing trouble.
Pedro Manuel, a spokesman for the movement, called for an “immediate” withdrawal from Praça D. João I at around 1.20am, reversing an earlier decision by protesters to remain in the square overnight.
Speaking to Lusa news agency, he said the decision followed an incident in which one person was punched and taken away by ambulance.
Organisers are now considering returning to the square later on Friday, while urging supporters to join Saturday’s planned protest in Lisbon.
The movement, which is demanding greater access to affordable housing, has condemned what it describes as “excessive and unjustified” police force during an earlier operation to remove tents from the square.
Porto mayor Pedro Duarte defended the police response, saying officers had been forced to intervene because of the protesters’ behaviour.
The movement’s demands include an end to evictions, restrictions on property purchases by investment funds, increased public housing, the rehabilitation of vacant properties and rent caps.