Portugal Interior Minister Denies 'Arms Race' with Housing Protesters

Portuguese Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves has firmly denied that the government is engaged in an 'arms race' or standoff with protesters demanding the right to housing. Speaking to CNN on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the anniversary of the GNR's Coastal and Border Control Unit in the Algarve, Neves emphasized that the right to demonstrate is 'absolutely legitimate' and that the motivations behind the protests are 'absolutely legitimate and very human.'

The minister highlighted that the vast majority of demonstrators are 'absolutely peaceful' and that the government views these movements with 'complete tranquility.' He noted that the organizers of the housing rights protests are in coordination with the Public Security Police (PSP), indicating a structured and non-confrontational approach to managing the demonstrations, which have spread from the initial protests in the city of Porto to other major cities, including Lisbon, where 'camps' have been set up in Rossio square.

Neves asserted that the government is 'very focused' on identifying all available instruments and solutions to mitigate the housing crisis. This diplomatic response aims to de-escalate tensions while acknowledging the severity of the housing market challenges facing Portuguese citizens and residents, signaling that housing policy will remain a central pillar of the government's agenda in the coming months.