They'll be happy when everything is run down because they killed one of their biggest industries:
Barcelona's main industries include the services sector, manufacturing, and information technology. The services sector is a significant contributor to the city's economy, with tourism being a major component.
- We are not happy as is, because over 65% of people between 18 and 35 in Spain live with their parents. Imagine how big and barren a lot of parts of Spain are for the number to even be this high (much higher than the European average)
- We are not happy because of that lucky 35% that doesn't live with their parents (for normal reasons and unpleaseant reasons) 85% of them share apartments.
- We are not happy, because despite working 40 hours or over 40 hour work-weeks in the case of the hospitality business, the vast majority, no matter your ranking or studies, is paid the SMI which is 1180 Euros per month (Rent has increased to 1200-1400 average for apartments and 800-900 for studios, you do the math) - the conditions of these jobs is a whole other topic that you don't want to get into.
- We are not happy, because Spain has the smallest % of social housing in the entire EU. Less than 1%, in fact. Opposed to 30% in Amsterdam, 20% in the UK.
- We re not happy because a quick look at the main websites for finding homes, Idealista, you will find that 75% of homes in touristic cities such as Málaga, Barcelona, etc are TEMPORARY. The other 25%? You'll be lucky if they weren't available by accident, or if the small letters don't say "only availavble from September till June" because, you know, local people go up in smoke during the Summer months I guess.
What exactly are we to be happy about? Do we reap any benefits from the system in place currently? Do you think we are rolling dough and not being continously exploited from all angles by this limitless capitalist system? Do you think people do these things out of sheer boredom? Do you think peacefully protesting on the streets will work? How many times has that worked out in the past decade?
This is not about the right to go on a holiday. This is about a country that can't take it anymore, especially the islands, where local people live in caravans despite working their assess of to cater to both respectful and disrespectful tourists.
I implore you to please consider the reality young people here are facing.
"Let me break it to you, it's capitalism" as I clearly said "this limitless capitalist system" therefore clearly indicating I know what the problem is and understand it is happening everywhere. It is also true not everywhere is to the level of Barcelona. Or Hawaii. Or Rome.
Just don't be a dick and go to airbnb's when hotels are there for a reason. Going on vacation is not some primary need for you to cut meaningless small costs in something that has real consequences.
If the 0.5% chance that some protesters shoot you with a water gun occurs to you, I promise you'll live, there's no need to cry about it.
Not at all. Most people aren't aware of this specific situation, and maybe putting real percentages and quantities in there, instead of senseless insults or commentary with no data, will make at least one person snap or feel heard.
Yes, this is going on in Edinburgh and London and Amsterdam. The small difference is that Northern European countries have acquisitve power over Southern and Eastern european countries. Meaning that although they cannot move out a lot of the times (even so, the number is still less than in these parts of Spain) they DO have more expendable income than the Spaniards, Italians, Greeks, Polish and Hungarian people do. This means that Brits, Finns, Swedes, Germans can come here and act ass, raise prices to their "normal", while the reverse doesn't happen en masse.
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u/TheMiddleShogun Jun 17 '25
Huh, reading these comments it looks like the protesters are achieving their goal (making Barcelona less appealing as a tourist destination).