Anti-tourism protesters stormed beaches in the Canary Islands and surrounded sunbathing holidaymakers on Sunday (October 20).
Thousands pounded the streets of Spain urging change to the current tourism model affecting the lives of residents. Simultaneous protests took place in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro as residents voiced their frustration with soaring housing costs they blame on high numbers of foreign visitors and holiday rentals.
Pictures showed locals wielding placards, with protesters covering a beach in Tenerife as demonstrations in their hundreds, occupying the sands as people watched on from loungers.
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Campaign groups vowed ‘this is only the start’ as tourism hotspots such as Playa Las Americas, Corralejo, Puerto del Carmen and Maspalomas filled with furious crowds.
They were the biggest protests on the islands since a large-scale demonstration on April 20, where 60,000 people protested across all eight islands. British tourists make up the largest group heading to the sunshine of the island chain, with around 5.7 million jetting to the region last year alone.
The demonstrations aim to demand changes to a tourism model that residents argue is putting unbearable pressure on the islands’ resources and infrastructure.
In Tenerife, the protest took place in Playa de las Américas, while Corralejo hosted the protest in Fuerteventura, and Maspalomas in Gran Canaria, with all demonstrations beginning at midday.
One of the main protests was staged at Troya Beach in Tenerife, where holidaymakers were disrupted by the protesters shouting slogans such as ‘More tourists, more misery’ and blowing whistles as they walked along the shoreline.
The marches have prompted the British Foreign Office to issue a warning to Brits in the Canary Islands over the risk of ‘unrest and violence’ breaking out during the protests.
The Foreign Office warned: “Political gatherings or marches can take place with little or no warning, particularly in cities. While most demonstrations are peaceful, there is a risk of unrest or violence.
“If you’re near areas where demonstrations are taking place, be aware of what is happening around you and move away if there are signs of disorder.”
