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Home » Spain Travel News » Barcelona Set To Host One Of The Largest Antitourism Demonstrations As Citizens Demand An End To Exploitation And Displacement Monday, June 9, 2025Barcelona will see a powerful antitourism protest on June 15 as residents rally against rising rents, overcrowding, and the impact of mass tourism on daily life.A wave of coordinated anti-tourism demonstrations is set to unfold across Southern Europe on June 15, targeting major cities and coastal destinations that have seen a sharp rise in tourism-related pressure. Protests are scheduled in a wide array of locations, including Donostia, Palma, Ibiza, Lisbon, Menorca, Naples, Granada, Venice, Cordoba, the Pyrenees, and Cantabria. These demonstrations represent a unified regional response to what local groups say are the mounting economic, environmental, and social consequences of unchecked mass tourism.Barcelona is expected to serve as one of the most prominent centers of protest activity. Local organizers have signaled that the city’s demonstration will center around three main issues they say are being eroded by overtourism: the right to access affordable food, the growing shortage of livable housing, and the threat to long-term community sustainability. Activists argue that the dominance of tourism in the local economy has made it increasingly difficult for residents to afford basic living needs.The protest in Barcelona will begin at 12:00 p.m. at Jardinets de Gràcia, a well-known gathering point in the city’s core. In a symbolic gesture intended to peacefully disrupt the perception of tourism as harmless, participants have been encouraged to carry water pistols. This theatrical element, according to organizers, is meant to challenge the normalization of tourism’s outsized influence over urban life and to call attention to the costs being borne by local communities.This marks the second large-scale tourism protest in Barcelona in less than a year, following a widely covered demonstration in 2024. The renewed mobilization reflects rising frustration among residents and advocacy groups over what they describe as government inaction and the continued prioritization of tourist revenue over resident welfare.The protests are not limited to Catalonia. Several Spanish destinations—many of them summer vacation hotspots—are preparing for similar demonstrations. In Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastián, and Granada, residents have expressed concerns over overcrowding, noise pollution, and rising prices for everything from groceries to rent. Mountain regions like the Pyrenees and Cantabria are also seeing increased activity, with environmental groups warning of ecosystem damage due to overdevelopment and mass visitor flows.Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, is joining the wave of protest as well, with demonstrations expected to highlight how tourism has transformed entire neighborhoods into short-term rental zones, displacing long-time residents and altering the character of historic districts.Rather than opposing tourism as a whole, protesters are drawing attention to what they term “touristification”—a condition where cities and regions are reshaped primarily to serve visitors, leaving little space for the daily lives of locals. Advocates behind the demonstrations are calling for new public policies that reduce the scale of tourism and diversify local economies, particularly those overly reliant on seasonal tourism jobs that offer low pay and little security.Environmental sustainability is also at the core of the protest movement. Organizers point to international statistics indicating that tourism is responsible for nearly nine percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. With each surge in tourist numbers comes an increase in air travel, energy consumption, and waste, all of which contribute to climate change. One of the most contentious issues is the proposed expansion of El Prat Airport near Barcelona, a project that could threaten the nearby Ricarda Natural Park—a protected wetland that plays a vital role in the region’s biodiversity.Local environmental groups argue that approving such expansions, despite climate targets, sends the wrong message and contradicts efforts to reduce emissions. They are urging governments to halt high-impact projects and instead invest in low-carbon alternatives and long-term strategies that align tourism with climate and community goals.As the date approaches, both tourists and locals across Spain, Portugal, and parts of Italy are being advised to prepare for public demonstrations that may involve rallies, performances, or temporary disruptions near major landmarks. These events are intended to make visible the growing resistance to a tourism model that critics say is unsustainable—and to start a broader conversation about what kind of future Southern Europe’s cities and natural areas should be built around.
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