Canary Islands protest group faces pushback over demonstration plans
A prominent Spanish protest group, vocal about the detrimental impacts of rampant mass tourism, has encountered resistance from local authorities after attempting to flood a major national park that draws in millions annually.
The activist collective 'Canarias tiene un límite' (Canary Islands have a limit) has been behind numerous protests that have disrupted tourist hotspots across the Canary Islands, confronting holidaymakers with blunt messages to "go home".
However, their latest scheme set for Saturday was thwarted when island officials mandated a permit for public demonstrations, warning that proceeding without one would be illegal. The notice came too late for the organisers to secure the necessary authorisation.
In a passionate online statement, 'Canarias tiene un límite' said they were "forced to postpone the act" due to the intervention by the authorities. Despite this setback, small groups of demonstrators still ventured into the national park encircling the colossal Mount Teide volcano on Saturday, testing how officials would respond to their action.
Following 'Canarias tiene un límite's' stark warning in their announcement, the group made it clear that official resistance would not deter their summer protest plans. They declared: "We delay, but we don't quit."
The activists insisted that the true danger to the UNESCO World Heritage site was not their demonstrations, but "the institutions which treat Teide as an amusement park."
Despite attempts by authorities to thwart them, "small groups" of demonstrators still gathered at Teide National Park over the weekend, as reported by CanarianWeekly. Brandishing banners, they drew attention to the damage caused by quad bikes and tourists veering off paths on the delicate ecosystem.
The determined locals vowed to "circumvent" the "institutional blockade" facing their campaign.
The group defiantly stated: "We are here at Teide, despite the authorities having prohibited the demonstration. We have come in small groups to bypass the institutions' attempts to silence us, but so far, they've achieved the opposite. We've managed to highlight the situation at Teide, which reflects a broader crisis in all of the Canary Islands' protected areas,".
They criticised Tenerife council president Rosa Dávila's "clumsy" efforts to suppress their protest, which she feared could harm the natural treasure. However, the protesters countered that the real threats were "thousands of quad bikes", tourists straying off designated areas, and unlawful sporting events, all of which pose a greater risk to the 47,000-acre reserve.
Mount Teide stands majestically as an imposing volcano, holding the title of the world's third-largest when measured from its base 7500 metres below the sea surface. The national park that nestles this natural wonder attracts around 3 million visitors annually, both from within Spain and abroad, who are keen to witness Spain's tallest peak and the stunning panoramas it offers.
Despite resistance from some political quarters, campaigners 'Canarias tiene un límite' have stated that the discord has only highlighted the issues facing the national park and spurred on their efforts. In a stark message to the powers that be, the activists proclaimed: "There are other officials responsible for managing Mount Teide who are comfortably sheltered by Rosa Dávila's ineptitude.
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