Thousands of demonstrators returned to central squares in Lisbon and Porto on Tuesday, rebuilding encampments hours after police cleared the sites and arrested 55 participants. The gatherings followed a parliamentary vote that advanced a bill easing eviction procedures and lifting rent caps on new leases, a move that has sparked widespread concern over housing affordability. Organizers reported over 1,000 participants at each location, with protesters in Lisbon reconstituting their camp at Rossio Square and those in Porto reoccupying Dom Joao I Square. The demonstrations, which began in Lisbon on Saturday with approximately 200 tents, had persisted for about ten days before police action. A photograph taken on October 19, 2026, captured a tent bearing the message “Evicted by the State – Evicted by the climate – End to the evictions” at Rossio Square. Activists framed the protests as a response to escalating living costs and a housing system they describe as unsustainable. Debora Miranda, a 41-year-old communications consultant, told Reuters the protests represented “generations struggling with soaring costs,” adding, “If people don’t feel at home, in every sense of the word, they can’t move forward with their lives… enough is enough.” Similar unrest has emerged in France, Belgium, and Italy amid broader cost-of-living pressures. Police in Lisbon characterized the removal as “calm, proportionate and appropriate,” with no use of force reported. In Porto, demonstrators complied with orders to dismantle tents voluntarily. Authorities detained 55 individuals, who were released pending court appearances. Portugal faces one of Europe’s most acute housing affordability crises, with property prices and rents for new leases more than doubling since 2017. Young residents, including 19-year-old history student Jorge Paixao, have voiced concerns about intergenerational equity, stating the crisis impedes the ability to “live with dignity, start families and rejuvenate Portugal.” Urban planning officials have cited rising tourism and an influx of remote workers as compounding factors in metropolitan areas. The protests underscore growing public friction over housing policy and economic inequality in Portugal.