Portugal sees protests over cost of living and housing crisis as demonstrations sweep Europe

It comes as major cost-of-living demonstrations in France on Saturday turned violent as protesters clashed with riot police. Several housing rights movements are joining trade unions affiliated with the CGTP union federation in demonstrations across Portugal on Saturday, as a series of cost-of-living protests sweeps Europe. The union confederation has called for protests under the slogan: "Higher wages, better pensions, and public services. Against the rising cost of living. A new course for Portugal!" Rallies are planned in Porto, Coimbra, and Lisbon. The deepening cost-of-living crisis is affecting much of Europe, driven by rising prices and fuel costs and shortages of affordable housing, and has prompted thousands of people to take to the streets to make their voices heard. "Faced with the rising cost of living, housing and fuel, even a basic shopping basket has reached an exorbitant price," a CGTP spokesperson told SICN in Coimbra on Saturday morning. In Porto, the march set off from Praça da Batalha at around 10:30 am and is due to end in Praça D. João I, where protests against the housing crisis have been held throughout the week. "We are continuing with our people's assembly, with the backing of ordinary citizens, independently of any party. People come from different groups, but we are not institutionally tied to any of them. This outcry is the result of abuse of authority and a way of saying 'enough of this crisis'," Pedro Manuel, one of the organisers of the protest in the city, said on Friday. "There are those who want to drag us into debating other issues," the Left Bloc's José Manuel Pureza told the Associated Press. "But what people are demanding that we discuss is the right to housing for everyone." "Those whose rent is getting ever more expensive, those whose mortgage is increasingly hard to fit into the family budget. That is what we are talking about, that is why people have been protesting, always peacefully, always peacefully," he added. In Coimbra, the rally began outside Portugal dos Pequenitos and is expected to end in Praça 8 de Maio, in front of the city hall. In the capital Lisbon, thousands of people are expected for a march scheduled for 14:30 pm local time, starting in Cais do Sodré and finishing in Rossio. However, the mayor of Lisbon has warned that, although he considers it "a just cause," the protests must take place "within the law." Speaking to the Lusa news agency, CGTP general secretary Tiago Oliveira said the demonstrations were taking place because of the "brutal increase" in housing prices and in the cost of living. Oliveira also warned of the growing "degradation of public services" and said it was an opportunity for citizens "to fight against the government's policies." It comes as major cost-of-living demonstrations in France on Saturday turned violent as protesters clashed with riot police.