Barcelona residents fire water pistols at tourists | AFP #shots

Thousands of locals protest against mass tourism and rising house prices across Spain, with groups in Barcelona firing water pistols at tourists and putting stickers on hostels. Spain is the second most-visited country in the world, and welcomed a record 17 million foreign visitors in the first three months of 2025. Protestors argue that the influx of tourists is driving up rents, saturating infrastructure and changing the fabric of neighbourhoods.