Barcelona Visitors Sprayed By Water Guns As Residents Protest Glut Of Tourism
HuffPost
Thousands of protesters chanted and carried signs that said "Tourists, go home" and "Barcelona is not for sale."
Protesters gathered in Barcelona, Spain, this weekend to take a stand against over-tourism.
While some protesters chanted and carried signs that said “Tourists, go home” and “Barcelona is not for sale,” some took to spraying tourists with water guns, according to multiple news outlets.
The city’s police force, the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona, reported that 2,800 protesters showed up Saturday, according to NBC News, which cited the Spanish news organization El País.
However, the group that organized the demonstration, Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (the Neighborhood Assembly for Tourist Degrowth), with more than 150 local organizations, estimated that 20,000 demonstrators were there, The Washington Post reported.
The group published a manifesto with 13 demands to address mass tourism, including reducing tourist accommodations and working to eliminate cruise terminals in the Port of Barcelona, according to Al Jazeera. Protesters claim the growth of tourism has driven up rents and worsened the city’s quality of life.
