Barcelona residents rally against mass tourism

A protest has taken place in Barcelona's city centre against the growing impact of mass tourism on local communities. Organised by the Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic (Neighbourhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth), the demonstration featured symbolic actions such as squirting water pistols, taping off hotel entrances and setting off smoke bombs near luxury shops including Louis Vuitton. Activists say tourism is driving up housing costs, damaging the environment and displacing residents. There were similar demonstrations in other parts of Spain including Granada, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and San Sebastian. Campaigners in at least dozen other tourist hotspots across southern Europe have taken to the streets to protest against 'touristification'

Barcelona tackles roaming wild boar problem (video)

Barcelona is one of a number of European communities which have large numbers of wild boar living nearby and they have become a common presence in the city itself.

The singer Shakira, who lives in Barcelona, recently complained that a boar had attacked her in a park, and encounters between locals and the animals have been on the increase.

As a result, the local government is trying to bring the boars under control.

The Evictors: In the Name of the Law? | DW Documentary

 

In Barcelona, housing prices have been rising for years and the Corona crisis has only made things worse. Many residents can no longer pay their rent or make the payments on their mortgages. Then it’s up to Paco, the bailiff, to evict them.

Catalan parliament declares independence from Spain

Catalonia: tracking independence movements across Europe

The Catalan parliament has voted to declare independence from Spain.

Seventy lawmakers voted in favour, 10 voted against, while two cast blank ballots. 

The decision was made during a secret vote in Barcelona on Friday afternoon.

The names of those who voted for independence was withheld, as the Spanish attorney general promised to charge those who voted in favour of independence with “rebellion”.

The declaration comes as the Spanish government is set to vote on the application of Article 155 of the Constitution, which allows Madrid to directly administer the breakaway region.

Dozens of members of the Catalan Socialist party (PSC) walked out of the chamber before the vote, as did MPs from the centrist Ciutadans party and the conservative People’s party. Some left Spanish and Catalan flags on their empty seats.

Opponents of independence accused the regional president, Carles Puigdemont, and his allies of ignoring the views of the majority of Catalans who wish to remain part of Spain.