Thousands of protestors have marched the streets of Tenerife before surrounding unsuspecting holidaymakers sunbathing on a popular beach to demonstrate against rising levels of tourists
Tourists sunbathing have been surrounded on a beach in Tenerife, as protestors gather against tourism growth.
On Sunday more than 2,000 people gathered on a beach in Tenerife, to protest against the impact of tourism on the popular destination. The demonstrations saw great crowds marching along the sand as bemused looking sunbathers watched on.
Video clips from the protests show the campaigners waving flags and brandishing signs on Playa de Las Américas, a popular tourist beach. They were filmed shouting “This beach is ours!” while crowding around confused looking beach-goers sprawled on the sand.
Were you caught up in the protests? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Others were heard shouting, “the Canary Islands are not for sale” and “more tourists, more misery”, as they walked along the beach. The event started at the Metropolis Center, before many of the demonstrators decided to head to the beach.
According to Diario des Avisos, organisers insisted that their aim was to highlight the problems that mass tourism is causing in the Canary Islands and involved around 8,000 people. Many people in the local area took to TikTok, with videos showing swarms of protestors marching the streets with signs before heading to the beach.
The protest on Playa de las Américas is one of many demonstrations to have taken place in Spain, as resident and locals battle against the negative impacts of tourism. Demonstrators are demanding measures to be implemented that limit tourism growth, such as the construction of new hotels.
The protest on October 20 is one of many that are currently sweeping across Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma, and El Hierro. Over 20 factions under the ‘Canary Islands have a limit’ campaign have been uniting to demonstrate against mass tourism.
Sara Lopez, 32, in Gran Canaria, “We need a change in the tourist model so it leaves richness here, a change so it values what this land has because it is beautiful”, reports BirminghamLive.
Victor Martin, a spokesman for Canarias Se Agota which translates into English as “Canary Islands on the Brink,” said: “The hunger strike is indefinite and will continue until the two macro hotel projects we’re fighting against are stopped for ever and the regional agreement agrees in writing to sit down and talk to us about a tourist moratorium.”
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP: Discover your next dream getaway in the UK or abroad by joining our free Mirror Travel WhatsApp community HERE. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
GET THE NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror Travel newsletter for a weekly dose of the best holiday deals, travel warnings, expert advice and hidden gems, straight to your inbox.
Back in April, approximately 10,000 who live in Tenerife joined a mass protest regarding over-tourism. Campaigners said at the time that the number of tourists going to the island is unsustainable and ruining the lives of locals. In July, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Barcelona to protest rising levels of tourism. Some demonstrators were seen with water pistols, and squirted them at tourists eating in restaurants.
Between January and September, 9.9 million tourists have visited the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute.
