Police clear housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto amid clashes

Portuguese police dismantled protest camps in Lisbon's Rossio Square and Porto's Dom Joao I Square early Sunday, following peaceful marches against rising housing costs, DW English reported.

Officers used shields and batons to disperse protesters, with some demonstrators throwing bottles and paint at police, according to DW English. Six people were arrested in Lisbon and seven in Porto for refusing to disperse, and 13 police officers were injured, eight requiring hospital treatment.

An unspecified number of civilians were also injured during the police operation, which followed weeks of protests and tent camps in both cities, DW English added.

A lawyer representing detainees in Porto described the police response as disproportionate, criticizing the size and actions of the operation. Activist group Acampada Lisboa reported over 30 protesters injured, including 10 hospitalized, and called for a new rally against the police actions in Lisbon later Sunday.

Al Jazeera English noted that thousands protested to demand the government scrap a proposed law they believe would worsen Portugal's housing crisis, leading to the clashes with police.