Portuguese police dismantled an encampment in a central Lisbon square after protests focused on housing and rents. Security officers removed the tents and detained 55 demonstrators. The protesters were demanding solutions to a severe housing crisis and relief from rising rental costs. The operation formed part of a wider wave of demonstrations that has shaken Portugal. Clearing the square brought police directly into conflict with people who had set up temporary shelters there. The scale of the intervention was evident in the number of people taken into custody. The square’s name, the protesters’ detailed demands and the housing alternatives available were not identified.