In Barcelona, protesters squirt tourists with water while chanting "tourists go home"

I will be in Barcelona in October to take a cruise. Everything in me sank when I saw this report on BBC.com.

If I did not have my cruise fully booked, I would begin looking at another one.

I have a feeling this will cause some tourists to rethink a trip to Barcelona.

Barcelona is kinda overrated anyway, there are better places to visit in Spain imo

Barcelona is kinda overrated anyway, there are better places to visit in Spain imo

Valencianas will happily take the overflow, based on my own experience. I love Valencia.

Like Carlos, there are plenty of other fascinating destinations in Spain apart from the regular ones most people visit. Travel out into the countryside and interior regions and visit some of those small villages on Spain’s prettiest villages list or small towns overlooked by most tourists. I can guarantee you will be welcomed in all of them. Granted you may need a rental car, but it is worth the cost.

I know Madrid gets a bad rap and isn't by the sea, but it was by far my favorite city. Very Spanish, good food, parks and excellent museums. I would live in Madrid if I could far more than Barcelona.

@BostonPhil, don't let this incident dissuade you from your upcoming stay. We recently returned from Barcelona (five weeks ago) and found just the opposite in terms of the overall friendliness of those we met. Of course, context matters. It is true that the city has been on water rationing due to a prolonged drought, and that clearly has some upset at the dichotomy of tourism excess in a city where so many cruise ships dock. But I can tell you we did not see or experience anything like this during our weeklong stay. Feel free to PM as we've exchanged some threads previously on our (then)upcoming BCN trips.

Matt

Thank you for the friendly and supportive words.

The ugliness I've viewed from other footage and read about from several sources is really discouraging. 2800 people were intimidating and upsetting tourists and even young women were squirting at complete strangers too. That's ripe for escalation to violence as there are people who will not tolerate being victimized. I suppose it's a glimmer of hope that water is plentiful enough for squirt guns. I've got 2 weeks left to ask for a refund on our deposits for October 2025. My partner will be disappointed but I'm not prepared to put us in that situation.

Did a web search about Barcelona's economy--- this was among the results

How much of Barcelona's economy is tourism?
In 2019, Barcelona was visited by more than 30 million people, with a daily average of 154,641 visitors. This figure is reflected in the fact that 14% of the city's GDP came from tourist activity and 9% of employment in the city is in that sector.

If successful in the 'tourist go home" ( don't come) campaign, the residents of Barcelona may be inclined to delve into the meaning of the phrase "be careful what you wish for"

What happened to the drought and severe water shortage?

*and that clearly has some upset at the dichotomy of tourism excess in a city where so many cruise ships dock. *

If 5 ships dock per day with 2,000 passengers each that is 70,000 passengers per week or 3.5 million per year.

That is in a city where last year 41.6 million people used the airport last year. If it is necessary to curb tourism (or to add taxes to force the ships out) then a far greater effect will be achieved by forcing the airport to cut the number of flights year on year, or to enforce punitive arrival or departure fees.
That would also have a beneficial climate effect from fewer emissions, in a city/region which is clearly suffering from the effects of global warming.

It is actually shocking that last year of the 41.6 million users 1.7 million were from Madrid- given the excellent and fast train service between the two cities. That was a 69% rise in the year.

As an attempt to terrorize tourists, spraying them from squirt guns seems like a pretty weak effort. July weather on the Mediterranean coast, it might actually be refreshing.

I was surprised at how many cops there were standing back and letting people do the squirting in the context of the short clip BBC posted. Over here, that would have probably been grounds for an assault arrest, at least if it continued after a stern talking to. The young lads targeted seemed to take it in fairly good humour, but it's annoying when the camera pans to the family with a couple of kids.

I said in another thread that I largely support considered direct action as a form of protest.

If they took that sort of direct action against some Brits in Benidorm however, someone might have got clattered.

I've just seen footage of the protests in which one protester was holding a sign stating that "balconing is fun", clearly mocking those tourists who have fallen to their deaths whilst drunkenly climbing between balconies on hotels and on the same sign "tourists go home, refugees welcome" which seems a bizarre statement to make. Where do they expect the refugees to live if they're complaining about a shortage of accommodation? I also don't anticipate refugees ploughing millions into the local tourist sector.

Honestly, the city should hire people to shoot water pistols at all people, not just tourists, when it's hot. Right now, that would feel pretty good where I live. The water-pistol-shooters would be more deserving of tips than some other workers I could name. People who feel "victimized" by being shot with water pistols are probably channeling their inner cat.

It's all well and good that it's hot, but to me it's a little bit of friendly violence that still irks me in the context of protest, even though it's at a very low level. It's not a big deal in the scheme of things, but it was the title of the thread so it's worth commenting on to me.

To my mind, the folks sitting outdoors eating paella at cafes on Las Ramblas are civilians, colluding by spending their Euros and by being there maybe, but civilians nonetheless. Easy targets; sitting ducks. The real villains are elsewhere. Protest targeting ordinary people is lame, especially if you're squirting water and shouting at them while they're just going about their business.

My comment about Brits in Benidorm; I was imagining the same group meeting some 20-something scaffolders from Essex, already four pints and three lines down by midday. That's where squirting water at strangers might go horribly wrong for the Spanish crusties.

The protesters are getting exactly what they want, front page news in the major media (CNN, BBC, NBC etc.) plenty of discussion here and on other forums like tripadvisor. This was a stunt to draw global attention to their plight and it worked. All it took was a couple of kids' water toys.

*and that clearly has some upset at the dichotomy of tourism excess in a city where so many cruise ships dock. *

If 5 ships dock per day with 2,000 passengers each that is 70,000 passengers per week or 3.5 million per year.

I agree with Matt. Cruise ships usually do not contribute to the local economy. Most of the passengers eat on the ship, come in for the day and spend a few bucks, then leave in late afternoon to go back to the ship. You can't compare that to people traveling by plane, because those travelers are staying in town, sleeping in town and eating in town. They contribute much more to the local economy.

All it took was a couple of kids' water toys.

Carlos, you make me sound like a conservative rather than a pacifist :) It certainly did work out in the end, as far as getting attention. Nobody died, and the cops standing back was probably a good thing.

There's always been quite a strong left wing in Barcelona as far as I can gather. I talked in another thread about being on the fringes of the squat scene years ago, mainly through chatting to friendly folk in Gracia. Barcelona seems to be somewhere the politics you might have seen on the squat scene 20 or 25 years ago have a little more traction in local government now. Barcelona and Athens have been big centres for the anarcho-communist folks for a long time.

It's all well and good that it's hot, but to me it's a little bit of friendly violence that still irks me in the context of protest, even though it's at a very low level. It's not a big deal in the scheme of things, but it was the title of the thread so it's worth commenting on to me.

To my mind, the folks sitting outdoors eating paella at cafes on Las Ramblas are civilians, colluding by spending their Euros and by being there maybe, but civilians nonetheless. Easy targets; sitting ducks. The real villains are elsewhere. Protest targeting ordinary people is lame, especially if you're squirting water and shouting at them while they're just going about their business.

GerryM - I agree completely. Even if children's toys are being used no one likes to feel unfairly victimized or embarrassed.

How can they be certain their targets are actually tourists? Locals may be visiting with friends from elsewhere. Also, how can they be sure their targets are going to react in a docile subservient manner? I know a certain same sex couple in their late 60's who have been bullied and attacked their entire lives. Does anyone really think they are going to be passive victims? In fact I learned survival skills decades ago when students from the nearby Inkster district were integrated into our schools. Anyone who squirts us while eating will at the very least wear our ruined food.

Even if children's toys are being used no one likes to feel unfairly victimized or embarrassed.

It's not good behaviour in the context of protest in my book, but I'm aware there may be cultural differences about what is and isn't acceptable between Spain and the UK. As Carlos pointed out, not very nice behaviour and some collateral damage in terms of civilian casualties was what it took to go global. It's the sort of stuff that does indeed get you "cruisin' for a bruisin'" if you do it to the wrong people, escalating unnecessarily.

How can they be certain their targets are actually tourists? Locals may be visiting with friends from elsewhere.

@Silas, just saw a news report about the protest. Seems that the protesters were shouting outside a posh hotel, putting tape over the door when the people came out of the hotel saying that it was a wedding and, in Catalan, that there were from Catalonia.

You can't compare that to people traveling by plane, because those travelers are staying in town, sleeping in town and eating in town. They contribute much more to the local economy.

And many of those flying into BCN are connecting to flights to other areas of Spain or Europe.

@Silas, just saw a news report about the protest. Seems that the protesters were shouting outside a posh hotel, putting tape over the door when the people came out of the hotel saying that it was a wedding and, in Catalan, that there were from Catalonia.

I didn't see that particular incident. The recordings I saw occurred at restaurants, cafes, and in one case a really weird storefront confrontation. One report claimed 2800 participants.

A co-worker from the old days just showed up in Budapest. She and her family will be here for a few weeks. They have been literally jumping all over Europe for a few months now and along they way (about 3 weeks ago) they were in Barcelona for several weeks.

Before they arrived in Barcelona they had never read the warnings about pickpockets, they had never heard of the drought, they had never heard of the tourist go home movement in Barcelona.

Imagine their surprise when they walked into the middle of ...... well there was no surprise. I told them about all these things after they got to Budapest. They had absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happen in Barcelona.

Not that things arent happening in Europe. Read the news, labor riots, war riots, religious house attacks, polotical riots; but what are the odds of being in the wrong place at the wrong moment. Pretty slim. To paraphrase a now famous forum contributor; be cognizant of your surroundings and trust your gut feelings and walk away.

On Saturday, Jaume Collboni, Barcelona’s Socialist mayor, renewed his “firm commitment” toward eliminating Airbnb style short-term rentals in the city within five years. In a post on social media platform X, Collboni said a new housing plan will remove more than 10,000 properties from tourist usage to be returned to residents.
He added that the tourist tax surcharge will be increased from €3.25 ($3.52) to €4 ($4.33) per night, while some tourist revenue will be used to invest in local projects. Barcelona collects around €95 million ($102.9 million) in tourist tax per year, but the sheer expenses incurred from tourism, including cleaning, security, and transportation costs, amounts to €142 million ($153.8.)
<<<<<<<<<<<

So. Why would it take 5 years to eliminate shirt terms rentals? FIVE years!
Obviously the tourist tax increase .75 € is a joke. Is that really enough for a tourist to say, hmmm, too much cost there.
Tourist tax per year, $102.9 million.
Costs to attend to tourism, $142 million.
So, in face of the facts lies the inability to address the problem. Dragging feet, small steps that make no difference. Such is the politics of tourism.

Hmmm.
Time for bigger water guns.

I agree with Treemoss2. There is a lot of money, tied in tourism which politicians are more than happy to spend. Why kill the hen that lays the golden eggs.

Merce Fest 2024.
Tourist couple on night crawl sees Correfoc crew approaching in the Gracia Passage.
The Correfocs point fireworks at the two hapless victims (sound of ominous music).
Suddenly those tourists whip out hella-BIG water squirt guns and out-draw the rascalitos.

I am done. The end.

It is actually shocking that last year of the 41.6 million users 1.7 million were from Madrid- given the excellent and fast train service between the two cities. That was a 69% rise in the year.

I would be curious which % of these passengers were making onward connections (especially to/from long-haul flights) in Madrid, given that it is Iberia's hub.

I mean, I'm sure it's not all of these passengers, but I think those making connections are in a bit of a different bucket than those simply traveling between Madrid and Barcelona, for whom I also agree the rail service should really be the preferred alternative.

Someone said Barcelona is overrated and there are better places in Spain. I was in Barcelona recently, and it was fantastic. I loved it. I feel like I could be happy living there. Just sitting on a bench along the tree-lined Passieg de Gracia, watching the people strolling on by, I felt like, why can't it always be like this?

If there are better places in Spain, I need to go back asap.

I, for one, wouldn't worry about the water guns in Barcelona. Here in the US, when someone points a gun at you, consider yourself lucky if water is all that comes out.

Excellent article on "overtourism." One person's catastrophe is another person's windfall, etc.

https://fortune.com/europe/2024/07/26/overtourism-inevitable-tourism-protests-european-cities-barcelona-spain-doxeys-irritation-index-butler-life-cycle/

Barcelona were the locals hate the tourists. But it still looks like those locals that feel that way are in the miniority. But they get the press because they have the water guns. Which was part of the point of that article. (i found a free version on Yahoo).

Rethinking going to Barcelona due to protesting. Why spend my money where we are not wanted. It is sad because they will probably hurt the hotels, restaurants and small businesses and their own people.

Original plan was to spend a few days in Madrid then take train to Barcelona for another few days. We depart from Barcelona so will probably only spend night there. Looked at going to Seville and Granada by train but then it’s a long way to get back to Barcelona. Any other suggestions? Not sure we want to rent car so would prefer to take train.

Any other suggestions?

Valencia.

The way I feel is, if they don't want me to come there, they should close the hotels. I was there recently, and I encountered nothing but friendly people. The odds that you would run into any hostility are miniscule.

Hi David,
We just returned from Barcelona and the Pyrenees a week ago. Rented during the first period in Born then afterwards in Gracia. At no point during La Merce Fest or otherwise, did we encounter the slightest issue from protestors beyond seeing a few graffiti or banners. The latter had more to do with the America's Cup btw.

Just a heads-up for future visitors to that four-day Fest: if you are claustrophobic then think twice about attending some of the more crowded events. Although I have attended Pink Floyd and Led Zep concerts with over 80,000 attendees, the main Sunday Casteler/Gegant date in Jaume square was too much for me. You will not be able to exit the crowd til it dissipates. That detracted from the fun.
I am done. the full bladder

I kinda agree with the protestors. The place is totally over-run with tourists. But in going there twice in the past month or so, I did not see any protests or problems.

I agree with someone that Valencia is a great destination.