Anti-tourism protesters in one of Spain's most popular holiday cities apparently chose their weapon of choice, a cheap plastic water gun, to attack visitors. Earlier this week, a group of tourists enjoying drinks at an outdoor table in Barcelona gushed at a woman who is growing in number of residents who are irritated by overtourism.
This phenomenon first appeared in July last year. Last July, a group of left-wing Barcelona-based activists who promoted “degrowth” in the city's booming tourism sector promoted the first successful rally. During the event, Participants brought water guns to shoot each other to stay cool. However, some people turned water guns to tourists, and images spread through word of mouth, resulting in a propaganda coup that caused anti-tourism. The move was criticized by Spanish tourism minister Jordi Herr. The actions were condemned.
“What happened later went viral, but in reality it was like a joke by a group of people who brought water guns because it was hot,” Adriana Koten, one of the organizers of the Ministry of Tourism's neighborhood rally, told the Associated Press.
The water pistol then reappeared in the Catalonian capital this April. The same group stopped the tour bus.
Then, last Sunday, about 1,000 people marched through the city, blew unsuspecting visitors and were stopped by police near Barcelona's top landmark, La Sagrada Familia. During the demonstration, they chanted the slogan, reading “One more tourist, one resident!” “Tourists go home.”
They also sport water guns surrounded by messages like “Tourists are going home!”, leaving stickers on hotel doors, lamp posts and outdoor cafe tables.
However, it is important to note that people armed with plastic weapons were in the minority, and many of the people carrying them were shooting in the air and at each other.
Protester Lourdes Sanchez and her teenage daughter each had water guns, which she said “really hurt no one.”
“This is a symbol of how we're tired of how the tourism industry is transforming our country into theme parks,” she added.
Lawrens Shocher, a 46-year-old architect, said he didn't shoot tourists, but he hoped that carrying a water gun would bring more attention to their cause.
Some tourists joked that being sprayed during the 30°C heat was refreshing, but other tourists, including Taiwan's Nora Tsai, said she was scared and saddened by the incident.
“I still like Barcelona,” she said. “I met many kind people.”
