Lisbon housing activists stage 'Camp Summit' protest outside Web Summit

The “Camp Summit” protest will begin at 5:30 pm on Alameda dos Oceanos, directly opposite the Vasco da Gama shopping centre and next to the Web Summit entrance. After the opening rally, participants will move to Estação do Oriente at 7 pm for a series of debates on the “right to the city” and the role of digital technology in democracy, ending with a popular assembly at 9 pm.

Organisers stress that the protest is free of sponsorship and barriers to participation. They argue that Lisbon is being marketed as a luxury seaside destination while many residents on modest salaries cannot afford rent. The movement also opposes the Lisbon City Council’s proposal to sell ten public plots of land for €60 million, a sum they note matches the amount the Moedas administration has already spent to host the Web Summit.

The protest follows a two‑day pause caused by Storm Charles, which forced the suspension of scheduled activities. The Web Summit itself is expected to attract around 70,000 attendees, providing a high‑profile backdrop for the housing activists to draw attention to the city’s growing housing crisis and the commodification of public land.