How the humble water gun became the symbol of Barcelona's anti-tourism movement

Описание: (16 Jun 2025)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4583699

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barcelona, Spain - 15 June 2025
1. People spraying water guns

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barcelona, Spain - 16 June 2025
++VERTICAL FOOTAGE++
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Wilson, AP reporter:
"This little cheap plastic toy has actually become a symbol of an anti-tourism movement in Barcelona. Now, you could consider it revolutionary, playful or just annoying depending on who you ask. But for organisers of these protests, this has become a powerful image of what they consider to be the excesses of over tourism in their city."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barcelona, Spain - 15 June 2025
3. STILL photo of protester holds a water gun during a protest against overtourism
4. People spraying water guns
5. Various of protesters marching

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barcelona, Spain - 16 June 2025
++VERTICAL FOOTAGE++
++COVERED++
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Wilson, AP reporter:
"Now, anybody comes to Barcelona, they shouldn't be worried about being shot by some random local walking down the street. There have been a couple of big protests over the last two years, and these are a feature. On Sunday Barcelona had about 1000 people march against tourism, and there were a number of unsuspecting tourists who did get spritzed a little bit. Some were annoyed, some took it in (their) stride . But this is probably going to be a feature of any more protests to come to the future ."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barcelona, Spain - 15 June 2025
7. STILL photo of protester holds a water gun during a protest against overtourism
8. Protesters marching
9. STILL photo of protester holding water gun during a protest against overtourism
10. Zoom out from Sagrada Familia to protesters holding banner
STORYLINE:
The humble water gun - the cheap, squirt-squirt variety - has become the weapon of choice and symbol of Spain's anti-tourism protests.

Activists say that it all started in 2024 when some people showed up at a tourism protest in the Spanish city of Barcelona with some water guns.

The intention was to keep cool in the summer heat but instead the water guns were turned on tourists.

Images of demonstrators spritzing unsuspecting tourists went viral.

Almost a year later protesters drew their water guns again in a march over the weekend against over-tourism in Barcelona and targeted would-be visitors along the march route.

Still, the number of Barcelona protesters carrying water guns was a minority - and in the gun-toting group, many were only shooting in the air or at each other.

Outside the protests, Barcelona locals are not toting water guns or taking aim at tourists.

Many in the city still support tourism, which is a pillar of the local economy.

AP video by Joe Wilson

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