Barcelona, June 15, 2025 – The sun beats down on the pavement, tourists stroll through the old town, selfie sticks cross with strollers. But suddenly the familiar flow is disrupted. A splash of water hits a couple at a sidewalk café. A brief gasp, then laughter. “Barcelona belongs to the people, not mass tourism!” shouts one of the protesters as he reloads his water pistol. This is no child's game, but a rebellion: In Barcelona and Mallorca, thousands took to the streets on Sunday to protest runaway tourism.
It was the first Europe‑wide coordinated protest of its kind. While around 5,000 demonstrators marched through Palma, hundreds gathered in Barcelona. Smaller rallies also took place in Venice and Lisbon. The message was clear: end an economic model that turns housing into holiday rentals, destroys neighborhoods, and turns city centers into amusement parks for outsiders. Andreu Martínez, a municipal employee from Barcelona, sprayed a tourist couple with a grin: “The water pistols are a symbol. We want to disrupt, not hurt. But we must disrupt because our city is disappearing.” For years he’s watched rents soar in his district, traditional shops vanish, and bubble‑tea outlets and souvenir stalls flood the streets. “Our lives as Barcelona residents are ending. We are being systematically pushed out.”
In Palma, protesters chanted, “Everywhere you look, all you see are tourists.” Indeed, once‑idyllic Balearic islands have become hotspots of economic displacement. Housing is scarce, prices have exploded, infrastructure is overwhelmed. In Barcelona, the city government plans to let all 10,000 short‑term rental licenses expire by 2028—a direct challenge to Airbnb & Co. Tourists sometimes took the protests in good humor, but tensions also flared near some hostels. Demonstrators plastered stickers reading “Tourists go home” and “Neighborhood self‑defense” on windows and doors. One hostel employee spat at protesters as they set off smoke bombs and firecrackers. Yet the image remained one of peaceful protest: creative, colorful, determined.
The Spanish government responded weeks ago with a massive Airbnb crackdown, removing nearly 66,000 illegal listings. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo stated, “Tourism must not threaten basic rights like the right to housing.” Consumer Rights Minister Bustinduy was even stronger: “The sector must obey the constitution.”
But critics say rules aren’t enough. Txema Escorsa, a teacher in Barcelona, says, “I no longer use Airbnb, not even abroad. It deprives people of their homes.” For him it’s clear: what’s needed is more than regulation. There must be a mindset shift. A cultural transformation. And perhaps it begins with a drop from a water pistol.
Because if resistance gets people wet, maybe that’s just to wake them up. And waking up is urgently needed.
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