In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who has ever tried to sleep in a public square, police in Portugal dismantled housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto early Sunday, baton-charging campaigners and arresting more than 30 people. The raids, which took place shortly after 2 a.m., were the latest chapter in days of clashes between police and activists inspired by similar camps in Spain, where tents have become the hottest new affordable housing option.

Dozens of officers, some accompanied by dogs (because nothing says "proportionate response" like a German shepherd at 2 a.m.), moved to clear out more than 100 tents that had sprung up in Lisbon's Rossio Square. Police also took down a smaller camp of about 50 tents in Porto's Dom João I Square. The Lisbon camp had been established after thousands marched along one of the capital's main thoroughfares to protest housing prices that have soared past average incomes - a novel concept, protesting the fact that you can't afford a home.

Police described their actions as proportionate and said they had earlier urged people to leave the camps voluntarily. The operations resulted in the arrests of 31 people for disobedience and the removal of 171 structures, according to police social media posts. Eleven people were injured, including three police officers - because nothing says "peaceful protest" like a few bruises on both sides.

Reuters reported that 25 people detained in Lisbon were released with orders to appear in court on Monday. The group Casa Para Viver (A Home to Live In) contested the police figures, claiming the raids left more than 20 people injured as police moved in with batons, dogs, and rubber bullets. "Choosing the early morning to deploy police dogs and fire rubber bullets at people who were sleeping or peacefully protesting is a political decision," the group said in a statement, calling for further protests on Wednesday. "It shows that this government would rather crack down on those who speak out against the housing crisis than solve the crisis itself." Because why solve a problem when you can just arrest the people complaining about it?

Fabian Figueiredo, an MP with the Left Bloc, described the police action as a "wound that had been inflicted" on the country's democracy. "Fighting for a home is a right. So is peaceful protest. The constitution guarantees both," he said on social media. "Let's keep going - for the sake of our future." The constitution, it turns out, is less fun when it's being enforced with dogs.

The housing protest camps in Portugal trace back to early October when campaigners began pitching tents in Porto, prompting police to clear them out. Similar actions soon sprouted up in Lisbon, leading to dozens of arrests and reports of injuries as police repeatedly clashed with campaigners. It's almost as if people are desperate for affordable housing or something.

As European cities grapple with a wave of discontent, much of the focus in Spain and Portugal has been on housing costs that have priced many local people out of the market. House prices in Portugal have more than doubled since 2017, while rents have nearly doubled, fueling one of Europe's most acute home affordability crises. Residents have long told of bearing the brunt of a market that has surged due to liberalisation, the issuing of so-called golden visas, digital nomad schemes, and the proliferation of short-term rentals - because nothing says "local community" like a rotating cast of tourists and remote workers.

Campaigners have called on the centre-right government to scrap proposed legislation that would make evictions easier and end rent caps on new leases. The legislation recently passed a first parliamentary reading. In Spain, the sprawling housing camp in the centre of Madrid marked its fourth week on Saturday, becoming one of the most tangible symbols of a widespread protest movement that has led to early general elections on 29 November. So, in summary: tents go up, police come down, and the housing crisis remains firmly in place. But hey, at least the dogs got a walk.