Police in Portugal have dismantled housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto, baton-charging campaigners in the early hours of Sunday and arresting more than 30 people.

The raids were the latest incident in days of clashes between police and campaigners who – inspired by similar camps in Spain – had sought to pitch tents in central squares to protest against the country’s deepening housing crisis.

Dozens of officers, some with dogs, moved shortly after 2am on Sunday to clear out the more than 100 tents that had sprung up in Lisbon’s Rossio Square. Police said they had also taken down a smaller camp of about 50 tents in Porto’s Dom João I Square.

The camp in the heart of Lisbon had been set up after thousands of people marched along one of the Portuguese capital’s main thoroughfares to rail against housing prices that have soared past average incomes in the country.

Police described their actions on Sunday as proportionate and said they had earlier urged people to leave the camps of their own accord.…