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PROTESTS

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march in Madrid

Waving pro-Palestinian flags and banners, thousands marched through the streets of Madrid on Saturday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the deadly war between Israel and Hamas.

A woman holds a sign reading “Free Palestine
A woman holds a sign reading “Free Palestine" during a protest in support of the Palestinian people in Barcelona on November 4, 2023. Thousands marched through the streets of Madrid on Saturday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)

The crowd snaked under bright sunshine through closed-off streets in the Spanish capital from Atocha train station to the central Plaza del Sol square behind a large banner that read “Freedom for Palestine”.

Many waved Palestinian flags or carried signs that read “Peace for Palestine” and “Don’t ignore Palestinian suffering”.

Six ministers from Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s cabinet took part — all five from hard-left party Sumar, his junior coalition partners, as well as Transport Minister Oscar Puente of the premier’s Socialist party.

“We need an immediate ceasefire, an end to the killing and attacks against innocents, we must achieve the release of all hostages,” Puente told reporters at the start of the march.

Around 3,000 people took part in the demonstration, according to the central government’s delegation to Madrid, a much smaller turnout than the last protest in the Spanish capital on January 27, when some 20,000 participated.

Some chanted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – a slogan that critics interpret as a call for the elimination of Israel. Chants of “It’s not a war, it’s genocide” were also heard.

The Gaza war began with Hamas’ October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Militants also took about 250 people hostage, around 130 of whom are still in Gaza, including 30 who are presumed dead, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza has since killed at least 28,775 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Spain, Ireland and Belgium have been among the most critical in Europe of the way Israel has conducted its Gaza campaign.

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TOURISM

Granada and Mallorca pile more pressure on Spain’s mass tourism problem

Spain's anti-tourism protests continued over the weekend with locals in Granada and Mallorca taking to the streets to highlight the negative impact on rental markets and local environments.

Granada and Mallorca pile more pressure on Spain's mass tourism problem

Spain’s growing anti-tourism movement continued over the weekend, with demonstrations in Mallorca and Granada protesting the impact of mass tourism on locals.

This comes amid recent protests in Barcelona, the Canary Islands, and Madrid, among many other Spanish cities. In several parts of the country local governments have brought in limits on tourist rentals, something many feel inflates the rental market and prices locals out of their own neighbourhoods.

READ ALSO: ‘It kills the city’: Barcelona’s youth protest against mass tourism

On Sunday Mallorca residents took to the Caló des Moro beach to protest over-tourism in the area. The demonstration, organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour movement, saw more than 300 people occupy the idyllic cove that locals claim is becoming more difficult to enjoy due to growing numbers of tourists.

Protestors had two large banners stating “Let’s occupy our beaches” and “It’s time to stop.” Caló des Moro was chosen as a symbol of an area where residents say they can’t go as it’s becoming so oversaturated with visitors, and the protest began at 8.00 a.m to anticipate the arrival of thousands of tourists who come every weekend.

For many locals, mass-tourism also presents an ecological danger with an “extreme situation” they feel the Balearic government is doing little to tackle. The town council of Santanyí, where the cove is, favours regulating the influx of tourists, and points out that the huge number of people on the beaches means that 50 kilos of sand are lost every day.

4,000 tourists visit the beach every day during the summer season, according to the local council.

Mass protests against overtourism also took place across the Balearic Islands on May 26th, showcasing locals’ intentions to continue protesting until something changes.

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’: Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

Down in southern Spain, hundreds of people also demonstrated in the Albaicín neighbourhood of Granada over the weekend, principally against tourist overcrowding in the area that complicates the day-to-day life of locals and drives up rents.

Locals complain that the famously narrow streets of Albaicín are now always packed with people, mostly tourists. “They don’t let people through, many groups come to see it,” one woman said, referring to the picturesque neighbourhood in the shadow of the Alhambra.

As many as 200 people gathered at the Mirador de San Nicolás viewing point, a popular spot for tourists in Granada due to its views of the Alhambra, under the slogan “Our neighbourhood is not a theme park, for a liveable Albaicín.”

Demonstrators also held up banners criticising the behaviour of tourists, such as “don’t take pictures of me, I’m not your postcard” and “more residents, less clients” among others.

READ ALSO: Valencia to stop issuing licences to Airbnb-style lets as rents soar past €1,000

As is the case across Spain, locals in Granada also feel that the increasing number of short-term tourist rentals in the area is causing rental prices to increase.

“It’s an uncontrolled phenomenon,” locals said, something they say has led to a decrease in the number of local people living in Albaicín.

Local resident Sergio Ayuso said “the neighbourhood has been filled with tourist accommodation. This is a blessing for the tourist agents but for the neighbourhood… it is our punishment.”

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