About 600 people demonstrate against overcrowding in Barcelona.

BarcelonaBarcelona has hosted a new demonstration against tourism, a year after the water pistol protest with which the attendees They heckled some of the city's tourists. Thousands of protesters then denounced the overcrowding in the capital, while this year only about 600 people turned out, according to the Guardia Urbana (Urban Guard). The hundreds of people who took to the streets demanded a change in the city's model to end job insecurity and the housing crisis, chanting "At home, bread, future, and a roof" and "No neighbor outside the neighborhood." However, this time there were no clashes with tourists, although some attendees were equipped with pine trees.

In fact, before the march began, which started from the Jardinets de Gràcia neighborhoods, the Assembly of Neighborhoods for the Decrease in Tourism (ABDT) distributed a quarantine among the protesters because "it's very hot and it's important to stay hydrated." Aside from using water pistols to cool off, some of the protesters made no secret of their desire to relive scenes like last year and play target practice with the tourists. "I need it as therapy," wryly explained Maria, a Clot resident who is active in social movements defending housing rights in the neighborhood.

Despite the jokes, the march moved forward normally, zigzagging through the streets of the Eixample right wing to try to avoid the heavy police presence. In fact, the organizers did not reveal the final destination of the mobilization. There were some tense moments when the protesters stopped in front of a hostel on Còrsega Street and a group sealed the door and put up stickers. An employee of the establishment confronted them, who yelled at him and sprayed him with water pistols. However, the incident did not escalate, and the demonstration continued, although, before continuing, they set off a firecracker in front of the hostel itself.

As the march progressed, it became increasingly clear that the organizers' ultimate goal was to end up at the Sagrada Família, but the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) refused to allow it. The protest remained at a standstill for a few minutes at the intersection of Rosselló and Sicilia streets because the Catalan police blocked their way. They mediated with the protest leaders to find an alternative route that would avoid the basilica, one of the hotspots for overcrowding in the city. Finally, the demonstration resumed, ending a few blocks above the temple, where a manifesto was read calling for a decrease in tourism in Barcelona.