Barcelona locals have started a major protest movement against mass tourism, culminating in residents aggressively squirting water guns at visitors trying to enjoy their tapas on outdoor restaurant patios.

A closer look

Barcelona locals have started a major protest movement against mass tourism, culminating in residents aggressively squirting water guns at visitors trying to enjoy their tapas on outdoor restaurant patios. The city is currently choking on soaring rent prices caused by thousands of illegal Airbnb rentals, pushing actual citizens out of their own neighborhoods so wealthy digital nomads can pretend to be local for a week. While getting blasted with a Super Soaker over a plate of patatas bravas might seem incredibly rude to the unsuspecting traveler, it is arguably a very restrained response to a global economic machine that prioritizes cheap sangria and bachelor parties over the basic housing needs of a local population