More than a decade ago, in an abandoned shopping mall with no official owner, artists and musicians created a vibrant hub for the arts in Porto, Portugal. Collectives established studios in what were previously storefronts. Rents remained cheap in the space even as the rest of the city fell prey to gentrification and displacement. City officials have long sought to close the DIY space and hand it over to corporate developers.

Porto has undergone significant changes in recent years under its political leadership, losing its identity and losing thousands of inhabitants due to a housing affordability crisis. Furthermore, its city administration is being investigated for real estate speculation activities and favoring economically powerful interests.

The city finally moved on the Stop Shopping Center in late July. For over 10 days, more than 500 musicians in Porto have been forcibly evicted from their workspace, by police and the city authorities, with over 100 rehearsal rooms and workplaces closed down at Stop, in what has been called the largest DIY studio complex in Europe. Thousands came out to protest the eviction.

Artists face forced Eviction of STOP in Porto, the largest DIY Studio complex in Europe