What’s behind protests in Portugal?

Portuguese police cleared protest camps in Lisbon and Porto before dawn on Tuesday, removing activists who had been occupying two central squares for days to protest against a worsening housing crisis. The operation resulted in 55 arrests of protesters who refused to leave voluntarily. Activists had set up around 200 tents at Lisbon's Rossio square since Saturday and another camp at Porto's Dom Joao I square for about 10 days. Despite the eviction, thousands of demonstrators returned to both squares later that day, demanding the government withdraw a bill that makes evictions easier and ends rent caps on new leases. The protests mirror similar cost-of-living unrest in countries like France, Belgium, and Italy.