The demonstration against the Canary Islands tourism model started with force on all of the islands this morning, Saturday 20th April. Thousands of people formed a ‘yellow wave’ under the slogan 'The Canary Islands have a limit, waving banners and shouting slogans such as ''Ecotax now'', “It's not tourismphobia, it's corruptionphobia'', and ''The Canary Islands do not live off tourism, tourism lives off the Canary Islands''.
In Tenerife, the vast number of people heading to Santa Cruz to demand an end to uncontrolled growth in the islands delayed the start of the march, scheduled for midday. The first data released by the Government indicate that the 15,000 people gathered in Plaza de Weyler from 11:00am.
In Gran Canaria, the association representing those affected by the Tourism Law, who are obliged to give their apartment to a tourist operator, has come out with a large banner saying: ''I am Canarian and I live legally in a tourist area”.
In Lanzarote, the spirit of César Manrique has flooded the capital, where thousands of people have shouted that the island is "dying of success" and have demanded from political leaders greater protection of natural spaces and a limit to the emergence of holiday homes. Upon arrival at the headquarters of the Cabildo, the people of Lanzarote shouted ''Canarian Coalition is a real estate company''.
Residents in all of the islands have taken to the streets to protest against tourist overcrowding and the destruction of natural spaces, in a historic turnout as it is the first time this has happened in all of the islands collectively.
It is important to reiterate that this is NOT a protest against tourists, British or any nationality, it is a protest against the situation the government have allowed to happen socially and environmentally.
Among the demands are the implementation of the Ecotax, the application of a tourism moratorium, and limiting the purchase of housing by non-resident foreigners to alleviate the supply shortage that exists throughout the Canary Islands.
