Protesters in Barcelona marched through the streets, including Lourdes Sánchez and her teenage daughter, Lourdes María. As confetti fluttered above their heads, they squirted plastic water pistols in a creative action that drew attention to mass tourism’s poisoning of local communities. The four day event held in the summer heat brought together nearly a thousand participants. They marched jubilantly from the Passeig de Gracia luxury shopping boulevard to the architect Gaudí’s world-famous La Sagrada Familia cathedral.
The use of water guns, specifically the inexpensive squirt-squirt variety, provided both a cooling mechanism and a playful twist to the protest. Activists sprayed each other with hoses as they called out the harms of the tourism industry. Looking back on why they went with the water guns, Sanchez said that was meant to be “really fun, but really isn’t to hurt anyone.” She emphasized that this protest is about making a statement about the impacts tourism has on their daily lives.
Laurens Schocher, a 46-year-old architect and first-time activist, was willing to risk arrest to join the protest. His goal was to raise awareness for the cause. “I don’t think the tourists will understand it, I think this is more meant to be a message to decision makers,” he added. Many tourists were pleasantly surprised by the sudden cold shower. Many more experienced the blunt force of the protest’s message.
Nora Tsai, a tourist from Taiwan, was one of those lucky enough to find themselves spritzed by water guns while marching. As several of the participants alluded to, they knew they were going to create a “pain in the tourist’s ass,” to quote Andreu Martínez.
The protest was called by the Neighborhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth. Their larger aim is to counteract the increasing commercialization of locals’ hangouts thanks to an influx of tourism. We caught up with organizer Adriana Coten to learn more about the group’s goals and history. This demonstration is a sequel of sorts to the protest from April. These days, activists are using everything from protests to tour bus takeovers to draw attention to their battle.
Sánchez articulated the broader sentiment among protesters when she stated, “This is a symbol to say that we are fed up of how tourism industry is transforming our country into a theme park.” She argues that the current hyper-focus on tourism hurts residents, local culture and scholarship.
As the march neared La Sagrada Familia, police started throwing up cordons to stop protesters getting anywhere near the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Activists did leave behind a varied and colorful trail of stickers with a squirting water gun and the slogan “Tourist Go Home!” This symbolic gesture beautifully illustrated their frustrations with what they viewed as an invasion of annoying tourists taking over their otherwise peaceful and charming city.
After all, activists had started employing water guns as a form of creative protest last July. Initially born out of a need to address tourism-related problems, the playful element contrasts sharply with the serious concerns voiced by locals regarding their neighborhoods being overshadowed by tourist attractions.
