- A group of more than 150 activists gathered in Barcelona on Saturday to protest against over-tourism.
- Footage showed protesters spraying tourists with water pistols and yelling at them to “go home”.
- Barcelona is battling overtourism, which locals blame for driving up the cost of living.
Protesters took to the streets of Barcelona, blaming mass tourism for rising rents and making the city “unlivable”.
Several thousand protesters, including more than 150 groups, marched through Barcelona on Saturday, multiple media outlets reported.
Pictures showed protesters holding signs reading “Barcelona is not for sale” and “Tourists go home”.
Footage seen by the BBC shows protesters using water guns at visitors to the popular tourist spot, yelling “Go home!”
Protesters have taped off certain restaurants and hotels as a symbolic attempt to shut down the establishments.
Barcelona’s Mediterranean climate and unique culture make it a top destination that attracts millions of visitors each year. According to the Barcelona Tourism Board, the city will welcome 15.6 million visitors in 2023, and the region will welcome nearly 26 million.
While the influx of tourists benefits Barcelona’s economy, it can also have negative effects, such as raising the cost of living for locals.
Rents in popular cities such as Barcelona and Madrid rose 18% in June from a year earlier, according to Reuters.
“In recent years this city has become completely for tourists. We don’t want a city for tourists, we want a city for the people,” one protester told Reuters.
Another said that while tourist hotspots such as restaurants and hotels make a lot of money from tourists, some locals “are in very poor conditions, they don’t have enough money to survive, and that’s the problem.”
Residents told AFP that the city was suffering as a result.
“We are not against tourism, but in Barcelona, excess tourists are making the city unlivable,” they said.
Representatives from Barcelona’s mayor, city police, and tourist board did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.
Authorities in Barcelona have taken steps in recent months to tackle overtourism, an issue that several popular tourist destinations including Japan and Venice are grappling with.
The city increased its tourist tax in April, according to USA Today.
It then announced plans to ban all short-term rentals in June, according to Bloomberg.
“We need more housing and the measures I am announcing today are to increase that supply so that working middle class people don’t have to leave the city because they can’t afford it,” Barcelona Mayor Jaume Corboni said. “These measures won’t change the situation overnight – these problems take time – but they mark a turning point.”
Barcelona has banned cruise ships from docking at one of its terminals from 2023 in a bid to combat overcrowding and pollution.
