Nearly 900 people, mostly cultural workers, released an open letter on Wednesday repudiating the violence witnessed in Porto and Lisbon during protests for the right to housing. The signatories argue that such violence puts the constitutional right to demonstrate at risk, as Portugal grapples with soaring rent prices and a cost-of-living crisis.
Cultural Figures Condemn Violence in Porto and Lisbon
An open letter titled Cultura pelo Direito à Habitação
had gathered 891 signatures by 16:00 Wednesday, uniting musicians, actors, writers, and directors. The public appeal specifically targets the violence witnessed in Porto and Lisbon during demonstrations advocating for affordable housing.
Prominent figures across Portugal’s artistic community signed the document, including musicians Salvador Sobral, Dino D’Santiago, Capicua, and Cristina Branco, alongside actors Gonçalo Waddington and Beatriz Batarda, writer Valter Hugo Mãe, and theater directors Pedro Penim and Tiago Rodrigues. The signatories state that the violence witnessed in Porto and Lisbon puts the constitutional right to demonstrate at risk, while expressing solidarity with citizens demanding dignified living conditions.
Tensions Across Portuguese Cities Sparked by Housing Costs
The current protests for the right to housing and the cost of living began on October 10 in Porto, where approximately 1,500 protesters gathered at Praça D. João I.
Comedian Beatriz Gosta joined demonstrators in Porto on Saturday, October 17, condemning the security forces and demanding accountability. I came here to support those who suffered unjust violence. We will not give up,
she said.
Beatriz Gosta said that We have to take a stand here, we have to prove that this can never happen again. Never again!
Protest gatherings simultaneously expanded to cities such as Coimbra, Évora, Faro, and Leiria.
Constitutional Guarantees Tested Against Housing Prices
The open letter grounds its demands in Article 65 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, which mandates that everyone has the right, for themselves and their family, to housing of an adequate size, in conditions of hygiene and comfort, and that preserves personal intimacy and family privacy. The signatories argue that this right remains far from guaranteed in the twenty-first century, pointing to people who spend a large part of their income to maintain a home, live under threat of eviction, or are forced to abandon their homes and communities.
Economic data cited in the letter highlights that Portugal recorded the highest increase in housing prices in the EU, registering a 16.5% year-on-year surge in the second quarter of 2026 based on Eurostat figures.
Institutional Reactions and Political Fallout Over Security Tactics
Political and artistic figures have weighed in on the response to the protests. Musician Pedro Abrunhosa criticized the police intervention in Porto’s Praça D. João I, arguing that a communication channel between the municipality, authorities, and citizens could have stopped the escalation. Abrunhosa contended that invoking legal infractions to validate the actions of security forces reduces the issue to a matter of public order and ignores long-term constitutional non-compliance.
The operation in Porto motivated strong criticism from the opposition. The mayor of Porto, Pedro Duarte, stated that the police were forced to act, while the PSP argued that public gatherings have a time limit of 00:30 and that there were behaviors of resistance. The PCP condemned the police actions and statements from the prime minister.
Artistic figures such as rapper Capicua also voiced strong opposition to the police intervention, repudiating the PSP operation as a betrayal. The movement gained further backing from cultural figures including translator Pilar del Rio, designer José António Tenente, and choreographer Olga Roriz, who signed the open letter demanding that authorities uphold the constitutional protections guaranteed to all citizens living in Portugal.