Spanish locals slam 'rude' British tourists amid rising tensions in Barcelona
British tourists have been slammed by Spanish locals who have claimed that they are being 'rude and bothersome', ahead of Spain-wide protests against mass-tourism
Spaniards have called out British holidaymakers for their "rude and bothersome" behaviour while visiting the beloved tourist hotspot, in a further development to the recent anti-mass-tourism dialogue.
In a heated Reddit thread, locals expressed their exasperation, with one user saying: "British people are the worst. I'm a local and I haven't seen people so rude, annoying and loud. It's interesting that they're so polite when they're in the UK, but so insanely rude and bothering when they come to Spain."
The contentious remark sparked a fiery online debate with users flocking to share their opinions. As many argued whether the raucous behaviour was linked to binge drinking, others contended that some of the travelling Brits were being unjustly tarnished.
One UK native posted: "Brit here. The people who are d*******s abroad are often also d*******s at home. The polite ones you've seen in the UK go unnoticed abroad."
The frustration that many Brits feel about their rude counterparts was clear, with another saying: "British here and absolutely hate rude people. The people that are rude at festivals and gigs are generally the ones that are rude in the UK. Don't tar all British with the same name."
Another person chimed in, saying: "A lot of British people who holiday in Spain are just rude wherever they are, it's not geographically limited. It may be magnified abroad because of their sense of entitlement when they go away."
Echoing a similar sentiment, another chimed in: "Just as awful at home when drunk to be honest. But I do think this weird pent up aggression is released on vacation."
Another poster remarked: "Currently in Spain (not Barcelona). I have travelled all over the world to dozens upon dozens of countries, and I have never seen anything like this before. At 11am, drunken Brits walking all over monuments holding beers, drunken Brits kicking a football around inside of a restaurant, Brits throwing trash all over the streets and conservation areas, Brits screaming at people to speak English."
One Spaniard shared their viewpoint: "Brits coming here from their depressive country thinking they own everything and are above everyone else. No wonder everyone (all countries) says they are the worst tourists."
Another interjected eagerly: "I cannot wait for all these people to go home."
As tension mounts, Spain braces for more anti-tourism protests this week with reports claiming demonstrators will equip themselves with water pistols in a bid to drench unsuspecting holidaymakers - a tactic that was deployed last year around the city, and one that was utilised by protesters last month who used water pistols to take aim at tourists visiting the popular spot of Sagrada Familia.
A leading anti-tourism group has confirmed a new protest will take place on June 15th, with the use of water pistols being encouraged.
The group, which was instrumental in organising last year's demonstration, has stated its intention to "disrupt the tourist normality". Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a member of the Assembly of Neighbourhoods for Tourism Degrowth, spoke to The Mirror about their plan to utilise water pistols.
He explained that they are "a popular symbol of resistance against the plundering of the tourism monoculture", and went on to claim that the tourism industry "is incompatible with life", advocating instead for "tourism regrowth."
On the same day, other demonstrations will be happening across the country, including in places like Ibiza, San Sebastián, Palma de Mallorca, Granada, the Pyrenees and even in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, according to Catalan News.
So far, the only detail released about the June 15 protest is the date. It's set to begin at midday, starting from Jardinets de Gràcia.
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