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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Warning as Spanish protestors 'armed with water-pistols' set new date for chaos
Overtourism campaigners in Barcelona have set a time, date and place for their next protest, which will see them revitalise tactics that captured headlines last year Anti-tourism activists are planning to arm themselves with water pistols and soak holidaymakers. On June 15 tourists in Spain may want to keep an eye out and dry towel in their tote bag. One of the city's leading anti-tourism organizations has announced a new protest encouraging the use of water pistols. The organization, which was behind last year's rally, has pledged to "disrupt the tourist normality". Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a member of the Assembly of Neighborhoods for Tourism Degrowth, spoke about the power of the water pistol. He described it as "a popular symbol of resistance against the plundering of the tourism monoculture" before arguing that the tourism industry "is incompatible with life". His group is demanding rapid "tourism regrowth." On the same day protest will also take place in other parts of Spain, including Ibiza, San Sebastián, Palma de Mallorca, Granada, the Pyrenees, and in Portugal's capital, Lisbon, Catalan News reported. The only detail of the June 15 protest that has been confirmed so far is the date, its midday start time and starting location of Jardinets de Gràcia. It comes 11 months after protesters in the city stole headlines with a now iconic piece of campaigning. People marched down the streets and remonstrated with diners sitting outside restaurants. Some, judged to be on holiday, were blasted with water pistols. Guests were also prevented from leaving their hotels when campaigners taped up exits. Last July thousands of people took part in the day long rally against mass tourism. Clearly it is something people in the city care deeply about. The Catalan capital received more than 12 million tourists in 2023, with numbers expected to grow each year. There have been other cases of tourist squirting since the July rally. In April this year tourists aboard a sight-seeing bus in Barcelona were blocked and squirted with water by protesters. The organizers of many of the anti-tourism protests held in 2024 in Mallorca launched a protest in the Northern Spanish city. The Catalan Police were called when the campaigners blocked a bus packed with tourists close to the famous Sagrada Familia. Members of Més turisme, Menys vida (More Tourism, Less Life) launched the action after holding an international press conference. After stopping the bus in its tracks for several minutes, the protesters doused it with water pistols. According to OK Diario, police dispersed some of the activists and detained others. This tourism-phobic group from Mallorca carried out several pressure actions against tourists last year, both in Palma and on iconic beaches like Caló des Moro, as well as two demonstrations with thousands of people protesting against tourism in the streets of the Balearic capital.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Barcelona's old fish market reveals a 15th-century shipwreck, which might hold secrets
History that got lost to time and remains buried under the land has always made humankind curious. May it be the sunken cities of ancient civilizations or the forgotten relics lying beneath our feet, archaeological discoveries give a rare window into lives and worlds long gone. In coastal cities like Barcelona, where the past and present intertwine along cobbled streets and historic harbors, the ground olds centuries of untold stories about shipwrecks, boats and how life might have been in the older times. Every excavation has the potential to find fragments of the city's evolution from Roman foundations to medieval maritime power. The discovery of long-lost ships not only propels research but also sparks a deep poetic curiosity in all of us. This time, with the discovery of a medieval ship beneath the old Mercat del Peix, Barcelona has once again offered a piece of its hidden past. The wooden hull of a centuries-old ship has been found in Barcelona, beneath the Mercat del Peix that was the old fish market in the city. The ship has been tentatively dated to the 15th or 16th century and has been named 'Ciutadella I' after the nearby park. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Aged 50-85 With No Life Insurance Could Get This Reassured Get Quote Undo What does the hull look like? Measuring more than 30 feet in length and about 10 feet wide, the vessel was found in good condition because of the damp, waterlogged soil that preserved the wooden structure. 'It's not every day we come across a ship of these dimensions,' said Santi Palacios, lead archaeologist on the project from the heritage group Arqueò during a press conference, according to Catalan News. He described the discovery as 'exceptional' and said that it has the potential to provide important information into the 'context of Barcelona's old port.' Where was the ship discovered? The ship was found more than 18 feet below sea level and is classified as 'derelict,' a marine archaeology term for vessels abandoned and later buried by sediment. Excavation teams believe the ship was likely a cargo vessel used in regional trade along the Mediterranean coast. The wooden structure, made up of about 30 ribs held together by a mix of iron and wooden nails, remains extremely delicate. To prevent deterioration, archaeologists have decided to leave it in situ for now, covering it with its original soil and applying wet sponges to retain moisture. 'The wood has to be kept constantly damp so as to keep it in a good state,' said Delia Eguiluz, a restorer on the project, in an interview with The Guardian. 'When we move it, we'll have to dismantle it piece by piece so we can continue our research.' The conservation team will begin by noting the structure using 3D imaging. Once disassembled, the individual parts will be transported in water-filled containers to maintain their condition. Specialists will then inject a hydro-soluble wax into the wood to strengthen its internal fibers, ensuring the ship can eventually be reassembled for study or display. What are the other similar discoveries? This isn't the first medieval vessel discovered in Barcelona. In 2008, archaeologists found a similar ship called 'Barceloneta I' near the Estació de França. That ship originated from Spain's Cantabrian coast, representing Barcelona's position as a trade hub between regions. How is the recent discovery different from the previous ones? 'Ciutadella I,' by contrast, is believed to have come from the Mediterranean coast. Further studies, including radiocarbon dating and resin analysis, are expected to confirm its origins. 'We'd thought some archaeological boat remains might turn up on this site,' Palacios, a Spanish archaeologist, told The Guardian, 'which is near the port and the artificial stone quay that protected the port, and which was a working zone in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two years later, we were lucky enough to find a boat.' Since excavations began in March 2023, the site has also found other historical layers, including remnants of an 18th-century citadel and a Spanish Civil War air raid shelter. With only 85% of the site excavated so far, archaeologists are hopeful that even more discoveries may lie ahead. 'This is a very important discovery,' Palacios said. 'It's not just about finding one boat because we now have two examples of perfectly documented naval construction in the city of Barcelona.'
