Barcelona anti-tourism aggressions

The Catalan-independence and anti-tourism activist group Arran is being blamed for two attacks on tourist services in Barcelona, Spain. 

On July 27, four men attacked a tour bus, slashing the tires and spray-painting “El Turisme Mata Els Barris” (“Tourism Kills Neighborhoods”) on its side. 

On Sept. 1, a video was released by Arran showing members slashing the tires of rental bikes, which are a popular way for tourists to get around in Barcelona. The video was accompanied by the message “Ya estamos hartas de la ocupación por parte de empresas turísticas del espacio público del barrio.” (“We are tired of the occupation by tourist companies in the neighborhood’s public space.”)

An estimated 32 million tourists visit Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million people, each year. In order to curb tourism numbers, in January 2017 the city government limited the number of tourist apartments and hotel rooms available for rent in the city and put a moratorium on new hotel construction.