Barcelona anti-tourism protesters fire water pistols at visitors | CNN
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Protesters in Barcelona have sprayed visitors with water as part of a demonstration against mass tourism.

Protesters in Barcelona have sprayed visitors with water as part of a demonstration against mass tourism.

Demonstrators marching through areas popular with tourists on Saturday chanted “tourists go home” and squirted them with water pistols, while others carried signs with slogans including “Barcelona is not for sale.”

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the city in the latest demonstration against mass tourism in Spain, which has seen similar actions in the Canary Islands and Mallorca recently, decrying the impact on living costs and quality of life for local people.

The demonstration was organised by a group of more than 100 local organizations, led by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Neighborhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth).

  • Moneo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    248·
    5 months ago

    It’s a protest. Same thing as climate protestors blocking the roads, no the individual commuters are not responsible for climate change, but the blocking roads is an effective way to draw attention to the issue.

    Protests need to be disruptive or they won’t be effective. These tourists had their day/lunch ruined at worst, the protestors are fighting for affordable living in the city they live in and they clearly have found an effective way to protest.

    So yeah no, I feel bad for the tourists but that’s about it.

    • tlou3please@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      Climate protesters don’t assault people who are just sitting down eating. It’s not the same.

      (I actually would criticise those climate groups for separate reasons but that’s a different conversation).

    • JimmyMcGill@lemmy.worldEnglish
      89·
      5 months ago

      Those tourists can’t even vote. With climate protests at least you are raising awareness in people that can have some change or make some pressure.

      Yes protests need to be disruptive but spraying people in London would be just as effective as spraying tourists that are ALREADY in their city.

      • TimeNaan@lemmy.worldEnglish
        154·
        5 months ago

        These specific tourists were not targetted to change their minds. It was done to spread awareness and get coverage in the international media that Barcelona has nad enough of tourists.

        It worked. So it 's a successful protest.

        • JimmyMcGill@lemmy.worldEnglish
          42·
          5 months ago

          I guess you are right that it created news but I doubt it will have the desired effect. One does not guarantee the other necessarily

          • Obi@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            61·
            5 months ago

            If we only did things that have guaranteed outcomes, not much would get done.