Climate activism on trial: legal repression challenges protests in Europe and Portugal

In recent years, there has been a growing trend in Europe of criminalizing climate activism, with authorities resorting to new laws and legal proceedings to suppress environmental protests. Portugal is not immune to this phenomenon: from symbolic actions in the streets of Lisbon to infrastructure blockades, several Portuguese climate activists have faced detentions and formal charges—including hefty fines—for exercising their right to protest.