Demos on vacation islands
Locals storm beach & insult holidaymakers
On Sunday, thousands of people once again demonstrated against mass tourism on the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain. They stormed and besieged popular beaches on the famous holiday islands. "This beach is ours", they shouted, while tourists on beach towels and sun loungers were forced to watch - often just a few meters away from the angry crowd.
The authorities put the number of participants at around 10,000. There had already been demonstrations in April, when, according to official figures, more than 55,000 people took to the streets.
Popular travel destinations in winter
Due to their location off the northwest coast of Africa and their climate, the islands are also a popular travel destination in winter.
"We are foreigners in our country"
Demonstrations took place in the vacation resort of Maspalomas on Gran Canaria as well as on Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma and El Hierro. Participants held up posters with the slogans "Somos extranjeros en nuestra tierra" (roughly: "We are foreigners in our country") or "Canarias no es un parque temático" (roughly: "The Canary Islands are not a theme park"), among others.
Limitation of tourist numbers demanded
The protesters' demands: Tourist numbers and the number of vacation homes should be limited. The various organizers denounced an "unfair and unsustainable" development model in the tourism sector, as reported by the Spanish news agency Europapress.
In spring and summer, there were also major protests against mass tourism on the Spanish mainland and the Balearic island of Majorca.
The travel industry accounts for almost 14 percent of Spain's economic output. On the Canary Islands it accounts for 35 percent, on Mallorca even 45 percent.
Affordable housing as a further concern
Another concern of the demonstrators: affordable housing. Over the past ten years, average monthly rents on the islands have doubled, said Víctor Martín, one of the organizers of the summer protest marches, to Deutsche Welle. And: every third apartment is now said to be a second home of a foreigner.
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