Legal professionals petition Portuguese Presidency over protest rights

More than one thousand legal professionals, including lawyers, jurists, and law students, have sent an open letter to the Presidency of the Republic regarding the right to protest. The petition was launched in response to recent police actions by the Public Security Police (PSP) to disperse housing rights demonstrations involving tents in Lisbon and Porto.

The signatories argue that the right to manifest is a fundamental achievement of the democratic regime and does not require political authorization. They contend that fundamental rights should not be undermined by restrictive interpretations or practices that invoke public order to compromise their effective exercise.

In a related open letter, 430 lawyers called on political leaders and authorities to respect the rights to manifestation and resistance. They specifically addressed the PSP's recent dispersal of housing activists, urging law enforcement to disobey illegitimate orders and avoid the disproportionate use of force.