Thousands of people angered by rising rents and a housing shortage gathered in the Spanish city of Malaga on Saturday to protest against mass tourism.
They marched through the centre of the southern city, many of them carrying signs reading “Malaga is not for sale” and “This is not tourism, this is invasion”.
Organisers said around 25,000 people took part in the rally, but El Pais newspaper reported that 15,000 people attended.
Similar protests were held in the city, following similar demonstrations against overtourism in other Spanish holiday destinations such as Mallorca, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
According to multiple Spanish media reports, the rally in Malaga was one of the largest to have taken place in the city in recent years.
The protests were called by the residents’ association, Sindicato de Inquilinos e Inquilinas, which says a growing number of visitors and holiday apartments are the cause of the city’s housing shortage and other problems.
“The city is suffering, there is a lot of resentment and above all else, housing had to be put on the agenda,” organizers’ spokesman Clos Machuca told El Pais newspaper.
Malaga has more than 12,000 legally registered villas, more than any other Spanish city except Madrid and Barcelona.In addition, many private villas in Malaga and elsewhere are operated illegally.
“The situation is unbearable. It’s impossible to buy a house,” protester Maria Franco told El Pais newspaper.
Engineer Sonia Raya told the paper that in Malaga she recently viewed a windowless garage that was being sold as an apartment for 600 euros ($642) a month.
People hold banners and flags during a demonstration organised by the Malaga Tenants’ Union against the housing shortage and under the slogan “Malaga is not for survival, it’s for living”. Alex Zea/EUROPA PRESS/dpa
