I am in Lisbon today, the 7th of November 2026, the site from where the very first colonialist expansion project to India was launched. Vasco da Gama set sail on 8 July 1497 with a fleet of four ships with an objective to securing trading rights with new, undiscovered lands. His landing at Kozhikode was the start of Western colonization in India. In 1755, Lison was severely damaged in an earthquake. The city was rebuilt after this event and two great squares were set up, the Praça do Rossio and the Praça do Comércio.
The official name of Praça do Rossio was changed to King Pedro IV Square, after the king’s statue was installed on a tall column in the square, in 1874. However, people continue to call it Rossio, and it is interesting to note that Wikipedia says “The name “rossio” is roughly equivalent to the word “commons” in English”. So, there is a trace of revolt in the very act of continuing to hold on to the name Rossio, even after the square was officially renamed. This has also been the site of many protests, and it is one of the most important squares in Lisbon with a lot of commercial activity around it.
Naturally, Rossio was on my list of places to visit and when I arrived there by late afternoon, I was completely surprised at what I found. About half the square was occupied by many small tents, set up nicely on a grid. The pedestal on which King Pedro IV’s statue stood was adorned with a lot of posters.
These protests are against the huge housing crisis being faced by the people in Portugal. A new rental legislation has been introduced by the Portuguese government in the Parliament, and these are popularly referred to as “eviction law” and “rental accelerator”. In essence, these laws allow landlords to raise rents and evict tenants and in the context that many of the landlords are large corporates and funds, these laws are quite significant. The current housing protests in Europe started with the incident of an 87 year old woman named María del Carmen Abascal Martín being evicted forcefully from the house she had lived in, for 71 years. She was evicted on 23 September 2026 and she passed away, in a hospital on 7th of October.
In Portugal, the protests started in Porto and spread to Lisbon soon. In Lisbon, tents were set up at the Rossio. The police removed the tents foreceully but they are now back as the Court has given them permission.
I met with two of the activists who are staying in the tents – Melanie and Gee. Melanie told me that they are protesting because the accommodation problem has become unbearable. She told me that the median income in Lisbon was around Euro 950 whereas the median rent was around Euro 2,200. I asked her about the government’s response to them setting up tents in the square and she said the response has been violent, and they were forcibly evicted from the square, but they are back with the Court’s permission. I read on the internet that the police had even resorted to fining cars that passed by and honked in support of the agitation. It is a common practice in the West for drivers to honk if they see a protest on the streets and they support it.
Melanie told me that most of the protestors are of left-wing background, but no political parties are involved in the protest formally. She said there are also some right-wingers protesting as well, because they do not agree with the police violence on peaceful protestors as they consider that anti-democratic. With a smile, she told me that these right-wingers run away when the police arrive; I guess this is a world-wide trend. She also told me that some fringe elements do come and become part of the protestors. The press and the official machinery mock the protestors taking the example of these people. However, the protestors cannot turn them away as they need to be inclusive; she also said maybe these people find the protestors to be more welcoming than the general public. She had heard about the protests in India and asked me about it. We discussed about how all such protests are important and should be done even if there is no immediate success. As Melanie said, each of these are like waves which give rise to other protests. We also talked about the hope we are witnessing in the form of election results from Brazil, Serbia and the US.
I had been to the CJP protest in Bangalore and I found the mood at Rossio to be the same. There was a small library for kids, a small community kitchen, people sitting around their tents reading etc.
There were also a lot of onlookers, and I also saw a CNN crew recording some story.
I wished all success to Melanie and the group and told her that people in India are also watching these protests with hope. Mesmerized, I wandered around the square for some time and then I left, after making a small donation to their common fund. They appreciated this action of solidarity and in return, gave me a sketch (ink on paper) from the ones that had been displayed.
Before leaving, I had a final word with Melanie, and she told me that there were rumours that there would be police action tonight. She invited me to go back and see whether they were still around the next day, if I am in Lisbon. She was very calm and even smiling when she said this; I was very motivated when I felt how injustice will always be protested against, whatever be the odds.
