2,800 people protest in Barcelona
According to municipal figures, around 2,800 people demonstrated in Barcelona this Saturday afternoon to express their rejection of mass tourism. The protest, which took place in the center of the city, was called by several organizations with the slogan ‘Enough. We put a limit on tourism’.
Claims and negative impacts
During the march, the demonstrators have expressed their concern about mass tourism and its negative impacts in different areas, such as the labor, social and environmental spheres. Martí Pujol, spokesperson for the organizing bodies, has emphasized that this industry affects the lives of Barcelona residents, making their lives precarious and limiting their ability to live in their own city.
Demand for fairer limits and economies
Pujol has claimed the need to put limits on this tourist industry, reduce its weight in the city’s economy and bet on fairer economies. Demonstrators have shown their discontent with mass tourism and have called for a balanced and sustainable tourism model that benefits everyone.
Confrontations and declarations of the mayor
During the demonstration, there have been some clashes between demonstrators and people who were on terraces and in front of hotels. The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has expressed his desire to limit the mass tourism and its consequences in the city. He emphasized that the measures already implemented demonstrate this will and stressed the importance of building a balanced and sustainable tourism model.
Demonstration in Girona
In Girona, around 400 people have demonstrated with the same claim. The march started in Plaça del Vi and went through the center of the city, stopping in front of tourist homes. The demonstrators have hung banners with slogans such as ‘For living neighborhoods. We put limits on tourism’ and ‘Less tourism, more neighbourhoods’.