Hundreds at Lisbon tent camp demand action, as Giorgia Meloni says march in Italy was exploited by ‘hooligans’

The angry protests that have convulsed Spain and France in recent weeks have spilled over to Italy and Portugal, with rioters clashing with police and setting property on fire in Milan, and a tent encampment springing up in Lisbon over the weekend.

A march in central Milan on Saturday to protest against rising living costs began peacefully but ended with masked rioters throwing stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police and setting fire to barricades made from bar tables.

Police used water cannon and teargas to disperse the crowds, and images of the aftermath showed a severely damaged carabinieri car.

At least two police officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators, including many minors, were detained, the LaPresse news agency reported.

Milan’s centre-left mayor, Giuseppe Sala, said that while “the reasons for the protests were understandable, the violence against law enforcement and serious damage to the city are not justifiable”.

In Lisbon, a tent camp reminiscent of the one established in Madrid three weeks ago was set up by protesters demanding action to tackle the housing crisis and living costs.

Hundreds of protesters rallied at night in Rossio Square – located in the bustling, touristic heart of the Portuguese capital – after a march that had drawn thousands of people nationwide.

The attenders vowed to stay overnight, with hundreds singing songs as they sat around the statue of King Pedro IV that dominates the square.

“The Portuguese social class that pays taxes, that which keeps this country going, is under attack and is losing its rights, notably its right to housing,” said Elena Costa, a 46-year-old social assistant. “So we are all here together to try to explain that we are suffocating.”

Antonio Margado, a 52-year-old engineer, criticised the centre-right government for “a total liberalisation of rents; owners are protected more and more, while tenants who need a house are those who are protected less and less”.

Portuguese housing prices rose by 124% between 2015 and 2024, roughly twice as fast as the EU average, according to official data. The impact is especially harsh on younger people and those in Lisbon – around a quarter of Portugal’s more than 11 million inhabitants live in the capital’s greater metropolitan area.

See also:

• Milan police clashed on Sunday with protesters throwing stones and looting shops during ​demonstrations against poor services and the ‌rising cost of living, a day after similar unrest in several Italian cities. (Reuters)
• Cost of living protests hit Belgium, Italy, Portugal and France • Hundreds of thousands take to the streets for separate demonstrations, putting pressure on governments across the EU. (Al Jazeera)

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