LISBON (The Thursday Times) — Tens of thousands of people marched through more than 30 towns and cities across Portugal on Saturday, demanding government action on soaring rents and house prices in the largest protest yet of a movement that has been growing for weeks.
The marches in Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Portimão, Coimbra, Braga, and other places were organised by Casa Para Viver (A Home to Live In), a platform of about 100 housing associations and grassroots groups, under the slogan “They will not steal our right to a home.” Marchers ranged from teenagers to retirees, and the Lisbon procession moved to drums, music, and chanting.
Protesters want caps on rent increases, stronger legal protection for tenants facing eviction, and more affordable homes. They also want the government to reverse changes to rental law, approved by parliament, that make rental contracts more flexible and speed up evictions. The platform is pressing for tighter rules on short-term tourist lets and on empty properties.
Rita Silva, a spokesperson for Casa Para Viver, said the turnout across the country showed that the crisis was not confined to the big cities.
“I’m really worried about young people,” said Susana Pacheco, a 35-year-old data analyst who works part-time as an astrologer to help pay her mortgage. She said she did not know how her younger sister would ever afford a home of her own. “Things have become intolerable,” said Ana Encarnação, 42, pointing to rising living costs and the widening gap between rich and poor.
Prices outrun pay
House prices in Portugal have risen far faster than incomes. Between 2015 and 2025 the country recorded the biggest rise in the European Union in the ratio of house prices to income, at 61%, ahead of the Netherlands at 34%, according to figures published by Eurostat last week. Prices rose by almost 20% between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of 2026, according to Portugal’s National Statistics Institute.
The crisis has fuelled weeks of demonstrations. Some activists have camped in central squares in Lisbon and Porto, and riot police with dogs have broken up some protests, drawing accusations of heavy-handed policing.
The movement has taken its cue from neighbouring Spain, where millions joined a general strike over housing costs this week. In France, protesters marched for a fifth straight Saturday, though in smaller numbers.
