Hundreds rally in Barcelona, claim their city back

Hundreds rally in Barcelona, claim their city back | iNFOnews.ca
Tourist gather in front of Sagrada Familia church, designed by architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. Barcelona will curb the number of rooms for visitors in the city center in a controversial move aimed to appease residents concerned about sky-high property prices and opposed by hotel and business owners. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) A

BARCELONA, Spain – Hundreds of people are rallying in Barcelona to protest over what they consider to be an out-of-control tourism boom in the city with damaging effects to its residents.

Local police said over 1,000 people attended the demonstration in the famed central walkway of Las Ramblas on Saturday, while protesters estimated the total closer to 2,000.

Under a large banner saying “Barcelona is not for sale,” protesters marched and read a manifesto in which they denounced that the tourist boom.

A soaring tourism business has fueled soaring prices for rent and property sales. Many of the city’s its 1.6 million permanent residents being priced out of the city centre.

Despite fierce opposition from hotel and business owners, the City Council agreed Friday to curb the number of rooms for tourists in the city.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles