Furious Spanish protesters unleash on tourists

European locals in Spain, Italy and Portugal, frustrated with the impact of mass tourism, staged a coordinated protest on June 15, using water guns, smoke bombs, flares and megaphones. In Barcelona, demonstrators sprayed water, released smoke, and placed stickers on shop fronts and hotels urging tourists to leave, while also blocking a youth hostel entrance. Police erected a barricade to prevent the crowd from approaching the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, a major tourist attraction. Protesters cited rising rents, a housing crisis and environmental damage as reasons for their actions, with one 38‑year‑old telling Reuters she wanted Barcelona to adopt a different economic model. A 31‑year‑old interviewee said tourists “have way more money than we do” and that the tourism model prioritizes drinks, real estate and hotels over local needs. Organisers in San Sebastián and Lisbon emphasized that the target is not tourists but speculators and exploiters who profit from tourism. The demonstrations also took place in Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Malaga, Granada, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Milan, Venice and Lisbon, following a coalition meeting of the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification in Barcelona. Activists argued that the goal is to highlight the social and environmental toll of tourism, not to hate visitors, and that the world is seeking ways to manage the post‑COVID boom in tourism and curb overtourism.