Tenerife protest: Staggering 120k march against tourism as protesters issue message
Fed-up Canary Islands residents took their frustration to the streets in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, in a march against overtourism.
Thousands of Canary Islanders assembled on Saturday in Tenerife as well as in other islands of the archipelago to protest against mass tourism.
Some of the demonstrators taking part in the march in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, unfurled a banner saying "You Enjoy, We Suffer", while another protester issued a brutal message this morning. The man was pictured wearing a black t-shirt with the words 'F**k off!' emblazoned on the front underneath a middle finger.
According to the organisers, 120,000 people are believed to have gathered in the city to take part in the march.Activists say the huge influx in tourist numbers is inflicting irreparable damage to the environment and is leading to poverty among the islanders due to low pay and rising property prices.
Demonstrations have taken place today across the islands in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma under the banner "The Canaries have a limit". Spanish expats in the UK also held a rally in London in an effort to get their message across to Brits that "enough is enough".
The Canaries are a very popular destination for holidaying Brits, with almost six million visiting the islands last year.
The Express.co.uk will be reporting live from Santa Cruz in Tenerife, with Investigations editor Zak Garner-Purkis at the scene.
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'If we don’t protect Tenerife there will be nothing for the tourists to see'
Jaime Quintero, 21, is one of the activists who took to the streets in Tenerife today.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, he stressed the protest was not against tourism, as he explained: "We are not against tourism, but every nook and cranny is being taken over. We want to change it to make it more sustainable. When I visit beaches they are filled with rubbish it makes me sad."
He added: "We want to address the misconception that we don’t want tourists. We are here to change tourism. This island is beautiful and if we don’t protect it there will be nothing for the tourists to see."
Protesters in Gran Canaria
Some pictures from Gran Canaria suggest the crowd gathered to join the local march was also large.
'I joined 120k Tenerife protesters and they had a clear message for British tourists'
Zak Garner-Purkis, who was in Tenerife to report on the protest, said the march was "more of a plea" than a battle.
He wrote: "What the locals really want are fewer second homes, projections for nature and limits to new resorts. It was hard not to sympathise with people who are hearing their native language eroded to the point schools are now teaching Biology and Maths in English.
"In a similar way to how many rural areas of Britain feel ignored, the protesters feel abandoned by the powerful in Madrid and Brussels, angry that hotels without planning permission are being erected regardless and only members of the public stand in the way of the diggers and bulldozers tearing holes in the beaches.
"As local Canarians leave the islands in droves I witnessed firsthand how campervans filled with German backpackers have occupied the desert to party in protected natural habitats."
As many as 120,000 may have attended the march - organiser
ATAN's member Ivan Cerdena Molina, one of the organisers of the protest in Tenerife, claimed to Express.co.uk that there were nearly 120,000 people attending the march on the island this afternoon.
It was previously reported the march may have been attended by some 50,000 people.
Express.co.uk could not immediately verify this information.
Locals in Fuerteventura also held a march
Thousands of frustrated locals in Fuerteventura joined a march very similar to that held in Tenerife and elsewhere in the Canaries.
Protesters held placards and banners voicing their unhappiness at the current model, which they say exacerbates the housing crisis and depletes natural resources.
'What the locals really want are fewer second homes, protections for nature'
Express.co.uk's Investigations editor Zak Garner-Purkis was at the demonstration in Santa Cruz, Tenerife. He spoke to many organisers of the protests as well as to the demonstrators themselves.
In an opinion piece, he wrote: "What the locals really want are fewer second homes, protections for nature and limits to new resorts. It was hard not to sympathise with people who are hearing their native language eroded to the point schools are now teaching Biology and Maths in English.
"In a similar way to how many rural areas of Britain feel ignored, the protesters feel abandoned by the powerful in Madrid and Brussels, angry that hotels without planning permission are being erected regardless and only members of the public stand in the way of the diggers and bulldozers tearing holes in the beaches."
Relaxed, peaceful atmosphere prevails in Tenerife
Despite the anger at mass tourism, the demonstration passed off peacefully and without incident.
Protesters brought with them an array of banners and turned out in all kinds of colourful costumes.
Some had the colours of the Canary Islands flag painted on their faces.
Protesters approaching end of rally route
Protesters are approaching the end of the march route, where they are gathering to listen to speeches from organisers.
The Canaries are no longer a 'paradise'
Protesters brought with them a panoply of banners and placards.
One read: "The Canaries are no longer a paradise".
While another said: "My grandparents' house was not an Airbnb".
More photos from the protest
Tens of thousands of people turned out to protest against mass tourism in the Canaries.
Below are some photos capturing the mood and atmosphere of the rally.
Party mood in hours leading up to protest
Prior to the demonstration on the Canaries against mass tourism, people were in a relaxed mood and took the chance to have a bit of fun.
The holiday islands have a reputation for partying hard!
Protesters sing and dance in Madrid
The atmosphere at the protests in Madrid seem to be relaxed and fun.
Video published to X by a Spanish journalist show participants dancing and playing music.
La ISA canaria \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\udde8 toma la Puerta del Sol (Madrid)
\u2014 WillyVeleta (@VeletaWilly) April 20, 2024
Qu\u00e9 maravilla de baile, de gente y de islas\u203c\ufe0f#CanariasTieneUnL\u00edmite @CanalRed_TV pic.twitter.com/lpMZsJfUMd
'Domestic terrorism is the holiday home!'
A protester holds a placard, saying: "Domestic terrorism is the holiday home".
One of the major complaints of residents is that investors are snapping up property to rent out to tourists. This is helping to drive property prices through the roof.
Big crowds turn out in Madrid to support Canary Islands
Large crowds turned out in central Madrid in support of the protest in the Canaries.One protester held up a sign with the words "The Canaries resist" written on it.
Desde Madrid. Por mis amigos, por su futuro. Por el futuro de toda una comunidad. 922/928 #20ACanarias #CanariasTieneUnLimite pic.twitter.com/eFBn3XQC8h
\u2014 Jose MM (@josemm1991) April 20, 2024
'People want change. It is time to start a new model.'
Ivan, one of the organisers of the protest, said the overwhelming turnout showed that the public had lost faith in the current mass tourism model.
He said: "The model is over according to the population it has been discredited. It is time to start a new model. It is obvious from the number of people who came the people want change”.
Protesters represent all ages. There are pensioners being pushed in wheelchairs as well as smiling youngsters carrying small glasses of beer - and children with balloons of diggers and cranes
Organisers estimate over 50,000 on the streets
Organisers estimate there are over 50,000 protesters taking part in the rally against mass tourism in Santa Cruz, Tenerife.
The march has had to slow down due to the number of protesters, which has attracted left wing ultras from Tenerife football club among others. The ultras are pictured below.
Tourism is killing the Canaries!
Protesters unfurled a banner making their thoughts on mass tourism clear for all to see.
The slogan read: "Tourism is killing the Canary Islands"
'As a teacher I struggle to afford rent because it is too expensive.'
Lydia Morales said her wages as a teacher were barely enough to help her pay her rent.
"The benefits of tourism are only felt by a small number of people. Even as a teacher I struggle to afford rent because it is too expensive," she said.
She added: "The priority of the politicians is still creating more construction of towers for tourism complexes.
"The priorities of the citizens of the country are left behind, we don’t have a hospital in the south of the island the infrastructure is collapsing because there is so much traffic."
Riot police with guns and batons out in force as thousands gather
Riot police with batons and guns are out in force, as they patrol the route the demonstrators will take.
20,000 already in place
Roughly 20,000 people have already gathered for the protest against mass tourism in Tenerife
Tenerife: Thousands gather for protest against mass tourisim
F*** off T-Shirts and Soviet flags
A protester wearing a T-Shirt with "F*** off" was spotted at the rally.
A man could also be seen carrying a Soviet Union flag
'Our culture' is being eroded and people 'assume you speak English'
Celia Quintero, 15, a protester, said she feared that the culture of the islands was being eroded.
Jaime Quintero, 21, also noted that many tourists just assumed locals could speak English.
He said: "In some parts of the island we will be approached in English. They assume that’s what you speak."
However he insisted that protesters were not against tourism per se.
"We want to address the misconception that we don’t want tourists," he explained.
"We are here to change tourism. This island is beautiful and if we don’t protect it there will be nothing for the tourists to see."
'We have to learn English to stay safe' - the south is a 'no-go zone'
Celia Quintero, 15, will be taking part in the protests.
She told Express.co.uk that her teacher at school told her that "you have to know English because we rely on tourism to stay safe."
She added that maths is taught in English at her school.
Celia also said she would not go to the south of the island alone because she no longer felt safe after being harassed by German tourists.
"It is not safe for young women” she said
Organisers say they expect HUGE crowds
Organisers of the protest expect at least 50,000 people to take to the streets to demonstarte against mass tourism.
They are hopeful of outstripping a previous protest against deforestation for a power cable which attracted 10,000.
Around the city, activists were putting the finishing touches to their banners.
Hotel staff on the Canaries are having to 'self-medicate'
Hotel staff in the Canary Islands are having to self-medicate, as they struggle to deal with impossible workloads and low pay.
The organisers of the London rally, Canarians in the UK, told Express.co.uk that overwhelming workloads were affecting the mental health of hotel staff on the islands.
They also explained that the low wages they receive made it almost impossible for the workers to afford their own homes.
'Go Home' graffiti on buildings
As anger over mass tourism grows among local residents, 'Go home' graffiti and banners are becoming ever more visible on the islands.
Organisers insist however that they are not "touristphobic".
Why are the protests taking place?
Oragnaisers say mass tourism is unsistainable as an economic model.
It is causing irreparable damage to the environment, as well as providing no real benefit to locals.
They say most busineses like hotels, bars and restaurants connected to tourism are owned by foreign entities.
Property prices have also spiralled making it impossible for locals to buy or rent.
Welcome to the Live Blog
Demonstrators against mass tourism will be taking to the streets across the Canaries today in their thousands.
A group called Canarians in the UK will also hold their own rally in the capital close to the London Eye.
The Express.co.uk will be reporting live from the rally. Throughout the course of the day we will keep you up to date with events both in London and in Spain