In recent weeks and months there have been more protests in the popular southern European holiday country. The inhabitants of Mallorca, the Canary Islands and Barcelona have also opposed the excesses of tourism. However, turnout was higher in the Andalusian coastal metropolis of Malaga.
The local tenants’ association had called on people to take to the streets. The organisation blames the increasing number of visitors and holiday homes for the housing shortage and other problems in Malaga. ‘The city is suffering, there is great discontent. Above all, the issue of housing must be put on the table,’ said a spokesman.
Untenable
Málaga has more than 12,000 officially registered holiday homes. Only Madrid and Barcelona have more. In addition, many private individuals, as in other places, illegally rent out properties to tourists.
‘The situation is unsustainable. Buying a house is impossible,” said a protester in El País. An engineer told the same newspaper that she had recently seen a garage without windows that was rented for 600 euros a month.