Students Rally in Lisbon for Free Education and Better Conditions – Join the Movement!

Students Take to the Streets

Students from across the country are set to protest in Lisbon this Monday to mark the National Student Day, advocating for the abolition of tuition fees and improved conditions, support, and housing.

The gathering is scheduled for 2:30 PM at Rossio, from where students will march to the Assembly of the Republic. Representatives from student associations of over ten higher education institutions nationwide, from Porto and Lisbon to Trás-os-Montes and Algarve, will participate in this significant event.

Key Demands

Under the slogan "We will not retreat, free education now!", put forth by eight student associations, the protesters are calling for:

• Abolition of tuition fees
• More and better public housing
• Scholarships for all who need them
• A truly democratic management of institutions

In their statement, the associations have criticized the potential unfreezing of tuition fees, as hinted by the Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, arguing that the government's current direction undermines student interests. They express:

“It is not about defending the path that students demand, seeking free education and putting an end to chronic underfunding. On the contrary, it seeks to increase the costs of attending higher education and convince us that there is no alternative.”

Additionally, they highlighted the rising costs of meals, lack of beds in public housing, and the shortage of psychologists at universities and polytechnics, along with the insufficiency of scholarships and minimal student representation in management bodies.

Solidarity Across Education Levels

In parallel, secondary school students are also marking the National Student Day. In Porto, a gathering is planned in front of the Soares dos Reis Artistic School to advocate for the value of artistic education.