Spaniards flip water pistols on guests to protest tourism : NPR

BARCELONA, Spain — Protesters used water pistols in opposition to unsuspecting vacationers in Barcelona and on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Sunday as demonstrators marched to demand a rethink of an financial mannequin they imagine is fueling a housing crunch and erasing the character of their hometowns.

The marches had been a part of the primary coordinated effort by activists involved with the ills of overtourism throughout southern Europe’s prime locations. Whereas a number of 1000’s rallied in Mallorca within the largest gathering of the day, tons of extra gathered in different Spanish cities, in addition to in Venice, Italy, and Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.

“The squirt weapons are to hassle the vacationers a bit,” Andreu Martínez mentioned in Barcelona with a chuckle after spritzing a pair seated at an out of doors café. “Barcelona has been handed to the vacationers. It is a combat to present Barcelona again to its residents.”

Martínez, a 42-year-old administrative assistant, is considered one of a rising variety of residents who’re satisfied that tourism has gone too far within the metropolis of 1.7 million folks. Barcelona hosted 15.5 million guests final 12 months desirous to see Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia basilica and the Las Ramblas promenade.

Martínez says his lease has risen over 30% as extra residences in his neighborhood are rented to vacationers for short-term stays. He mentioned there’s a knock-on impact of conventional shops being changed by companies catering to vacationers, like memento retailers, burger joints and “bubble tea” spots.

“Our lives, as lifelong residents of Barcelona, are coming to an finish,” he mentioned. “We’re being pushed out systematically.”

Round 5,000 folks gathered in Palma, the capital of Mallorca, with some toting water weapons as nicely and chanting “All over the place you look, all you see are vacationers.” The vacationers who had been focused by water blasts laughed it off. The Balearic island is a favourite for British and German sun-seekers. It has seen housing prices skyrocket as properties are diverted to the short-term rental market.

A whole lot extra marched in Granada, in southern Spain, and within the northern metropolis of San Sebastián, in addition to the island of Ibiza.

In Venice, a few dozen protesters unfurled a banner calling for a halt to new resort beds within the lagoon metropolis in entrance of two not too long ago accomplished buildings, one within the common vacationer vacation spot’s historic heart the place activists say the final resident, an aged girl, was kicked out final 12 months.

‘That is beautiful’

Protesters in Barcelona blew whistles and held up selfmade indicators saying “Yet one more vacationer, one much less resident.” They caught stickers saying “Citizen Self-Protection,” in Catalan, and “Vacationer Go Dwelling,” in English, with a drawing of a water pistol on the doorways of inns and hostels.

There was rigidity when the march stopped in entrance of a giant hostel, the place a gaggle emptied their water weapons at two employees positioned within the entrance. Additionally they set off firecrackers subsequent to the hostel and opened a can of pink smoke. One employee spat on the protesters as he slammed the hostel’s doorways.

American vacationers Wanda and Invoice Dorozenski had been strolling alongside Barcelona’s important luxurious purchasing boulevard the place the protest began. They obtained a squirt or two, however she mentioned it was really refreshing given the 83 diploma Fahrenheit (28.3 levels Celsius) climate.

“That is beautiful, thanks sweetheart,” Wanda mentioned to the squirter. “I’m not going to complain. These persons are feeling one thing to them that could be very private, and is probably destroying some areas (of the town).”

There have been additionally many marchers with water pistols who did not fireplace at bystanders and as a substitute solely used them to spray themselves to maintain cool.

Crackdown on Airbnb

Cities the world over are scuffling with how to deal with mass tourism and a increase in short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb, however maybe nowhere has surging discontent been so evident as in Spain, the place protesters in Barcelona first took to firing squirt weapons at vacationers throughout a protest final summer time.

There has additionally been a confluence of the pro-housing and anti-tourism struggles in Spain, whose 48 million residents welcomed file 94 million worldwide guests in 2024. When 1000’s marched via the streets of Spain’s capital in April, some held selfmade indicators saying “Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods.”

Spanish authorities are striving to indicate they hear the general public outcry whereas not hurting an business that contributes 12% of gross home product.

Final month, Spain’s authorities ordered Airbnb to take away nearly 66,000 vacation leases from the platform that it mentioned had violated native guidelines.

Spain’s Shopper Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy advised The Related Press shortly after the crackdown on Airbnb that the tourism sector “can’t jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish folks,” which enshrines their proper to housing and well-being. Carlos Cuerpo, the financial system minister, mentioned in a separate interview that the federal government is conscious it should sort out the undesirable unwanted side effects of mass tourism.

The boldest transfer was made by Barcelona’s city corridor, which shocked Airbnb and different companies who assist lease properties to vacationers by saying final 12 months the elimination of all 10,000 short-term rental licenses within the metropolis by 2028.

That sentiment was again in pressure on Sunday, the place folks held up indicators saying “Your Airbnb was my residence.”

‘Taking away housing’

The short-term rental business, for its half, believes it’s being handled unfairly.

“I feel lots of our flesh pressers have discovered a simple scapegoat in charge for the inefficiencies of their insurance policies when it comes to housing and tourism during the last 10, 15, 20 years,” Airbnb’s basic director for Spain and Portugal, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago not too long ago advised the AP.

That argument both hasn’t trickled right down to the peculiar residents of Barcelona, or is not resonating.

Txema Escorsa, a instructor in Barcelona, would not simply oppose Airbnb in his residence metropolis, he has ceased to make use of it even when touring elsewhere, out of precept.

“In the long run, you notice that that is taking away housing from folks,” he mentioned.