Fears are growing for the safety of tourists to Tenerife after shocking graffiti appeared on the wall of a house on the popular holiday island.
The slogan read “kill a tourist” and was painted on the wall of the residential building by the Islas de Resistencia group and it has led locals to also worry that the anti-tourism campaign is going too far. The activists describe themselves as “a project to recover the memory of social movements in the Canary Islands.”
Spain has been rocked by a series of huge demonstrations against mass tourism during last spring and summer, amid growing anger at the economic and environmental cost for residents. Locals claim a proliferation in holiday rental apartments has squeezed them out of the property market, leaving them unable to buy or rent apartments. But one person who spotted the graffiti, admitted to being worried that anger towards tourists was getting out of hand.
“Things on the islands are getting worse due to the large number of tourists and new residents, which leave us without homes and severely affect our natural environment,” they told LBC. The local added that people on the island are becoming desperate for change and respect but added: “Perhaps this does not justify those actions, which seem to be escalating. It’s frightening.”
Last year, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in many resorts around Spain to vent their anger at local business leaders and government officials. Although most have been carried out peacefully, some protesters have started to use more aggressive tactics.
In October, sunbathers at Tenerife’s Troya beach were left fearing for their safety after they were mobbed by hundreds of protesters. The furious mob waved placards and shouted slogans such as, “More tourists, more misery” and, “the Canary Islands are not for sale”. Video footage posted to social media channels showed stunned holidaymakers surrounded by the protesters, many of whom were beating drums and blowing whistles.
Some locals were left dismayed by the aggressive behaviour of the beach protesters. Canary islander Veronica Quintero said: “What they did was a d*****d thing to do. We have to fight for quality tourism but not against those who come here. We shouldn’t f*** the tourist who is on the beach because they have paid for an offer.”
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