Moment locals in Spanish seaside city shout ‘go home’ at tourists who fire back ‘f*** you’ | World | News
The tension between local and foreign tourists on a cycling tour in Valencia ends with the Spaniards shouting “Go Home” and the holidaymakers responding with “Fuck you” in English. When the incident occurred on Sunday, October 19, two groups appeared to have come close to a fight in a narrow street in Valencia’s beautiful Old Town.
One of the female cyclists looked on the verge of tears as she watched from a safe distance. And shocked spectators watched in disbelief as the scene unfolded before them following a wave of street protests against mass tourism in Spain earlier this year. In some cases, these demonstrations resulted in protesters insulting holidaymakers and spraying them with water cannons. A Valencia-based association whose English name can be translated as ‘Neighbourhood in Danger of Extinction’ claimed that Sunday’s incident occurred because cyclists wanted to pass the area where they were holding an event after police evacuated and refused to get off their bikes or slow down.
They admitted shouting ‘Tourist Go Home’ but claimed the Dutch holidaymakers had resorted to violence.
And an association spokesman, using the conflict to launch a new attack against mass tourism, added: “Residents of Valencia, and especially the Old Town, are anxious and helpless in the face of tourism and speculation that is saturating neighborhoods and driving people away from their homes.
“Major real estate investment funds and tour operators have become masters of the city, and governments are doing nothing to prevent this or protect residents.”
Footage of the altercation showed a bottleneck developing on Calle Danzas, a street where neighborhood association members gathered.
The female tourist, who was later seen on the verge of tears, was filmed screaming as another man on a bicycle fell to the ground during scuffles and shoving.
As the tourists walked away, Spaniards could be heard shouting ‘Fuera, Fuera’, which means ‘Get out, get out, go’ in English.
One of the holidaymakers returned and raised his fist in the air, chanting ‘Fuck you’ in the same rhythm, followed by the same shout from a female friend.
One of the locals who had shouted at them responded provocatively by lifting her top and slapping her hand on her bottom to mock them.
An English-speaking former resident described the scenes as “unfortunate”.
She wrote online: “I loved the city while I was there. No one treated me like that. My dream was to return to university and get a master’s degree and at the same time continue to improve my Spanish.”
“I just wanted to live simply and with respect for other people. But if things continue like this, I don’t know what to think anymore.”
One of the locals responded by telling him: “Fortunately, the majority of Valencians are not like that.”
One former resident added: “I can’t believe this is happening in Valencia. What a disappointment my city was.”
“I’m back this year and I’m telling you all that this is the most amazing city I’ve ever known.
“Are we going to let go of our egos? This creates a terrible image for Valencians.”
Spanish radio founder Manel Marquez, who describes himself online as an “anti-capitalist and ecologist”, insisted: “Tourists, especially the Dutch, do not respect pedestrians in Valencia. This is not Rotterdam and you cannot cycle wherever you want.”
“Dutch tour operators should explain this to them. If you don’t understand, don’t come.”
The neighborhood group, which admitted that they were in the middle of the fight, insisted in its statement: “There were tense moments due to the stubbornness of the tourists who wanted to pass through the street where we held our event without getting off their bikes and slowing down their speed.
“In the face of this intransigence, the neighborhood started shouting ‘Tourists Go Home’ and upon hearing this, the group of tourists became aggressive and resorted to violence.”
The group added: “Beyond this incident, the real violence that exists in the Old Town of Valencia and many other neighbourhoods, the expulsion from the neighborhood through violent evictions by the police and parapolice, the daily saturation of public spaces, the inability to rest at home due to noise on the street or in tourist apartments, the commercialization of neighborhoods and rising prices and the persecution of racial and vulnerable people, etc.
“For all these reasons, as a neighborhood, we condemn the attempt to criminalize the neighborhood and housing struggle that emerged after Sunday’s incident.
“The least tourists can do is respect the protests and be aware of how leisure activities can have detrimental effects on our lives. Since this isn’t happening, we are loudly chanting ‘Tourists, go home!’ we say.
There have been dozens of protests against the effects of mass tourism in Spain over the past few years.
