President António José Seguro condemns police action at housing protest camps

António José Seguro broke his silence on the police operations against makeshift camps advocating the right to housing, which left dozens injured and resulted in arrests in Lisbon and Porto. In a press briefing on Tuesday, he expressed disapproval of the footage, describing it as uncharacteristic of a fully consolidated democracy. He emphasized his continuous attention to the matter since the early hours of Sunday and said he pressed for information from the relevant authorities, citing his constitutional role.

Seguro noted that Portugal traditionally favors dialogue rather than confrontation, and he expects the pending inquiries to determine whether the police action was disproportionate, urging a swift conclusion. He also mentioned that he discussed the issue with the prime minister during a Monday meeting.