All the islands of the Canary archipelago, except one, have joined the May 18 mobilisations against the current tourism model. Following the historic demonstrations that took place on April 20 last year, the population will once again take to the streets because their demands have “fallen on deaf ears.”
All but one of the main Canary Islands have joined the protests, including Gran Canaria, announced on Wednesday (May 7). The platform “Canarias tiene un límite” announced that Gran Canaria has also joined the protests, with a demonstration starting at 11am at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The only island yet to join the mobilisations is the second-smallest of the archipelago, La Gomera. The organising entities have asserted that Gran Canaria “is also suffering from the consequences of this predatory model”.
They said: “We join this collective outcry because we are not willing to continue accepting that territory, water, housing, and the future are at the service of mass tourism and speculation.
“The approval in 2022 of the new Insular Planning Plan, which allows for the creation of more than 129,000 new tourist beds, evidences an unsustainable course, contradicting the institutional discourse of sustainability and eco-island.”
The platforms have rejected projects such as the South Train on the island, a new hotel in Meloneras with 1,200 beds, the construction of Siam Park water park, the Chira-Soria pumping station or Dreamland film city, the latter of which was initially planned in Fuerteventura near Corralejo Dunes but was halted due to social mobilisation.
They also denounce the energy transition model promoted on the islands: “Instead of prioritising the use of already anthropised areas like rooftops, or urban spaces, renewable projects are being pursued on rustic, agricultural or protected land,” they emphasise.
“We want to make it very clear that this movement cannot be confused with xenophobic or racist discourses,” Canarias tiene un límite clarified. “When we talk about limits, we refer to excessive tourism growth and territorial plundering in favour of private interests.
So far, protests have been called in Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, El Hierro, and La Palma, but no events have been announced in La Gomera or La Graciosa.
In Tenerife, the march will start at 11am from Weyler Square in the capital. In Lanzarote, it will begin at Arrecife’s Music Kiosk and heads to the island council.
In Fuerteventura, it will start on Calle 1º de Mayo in Puerto del Rosario and end at Church Square. In El Hierro, there will be a gathering on Doctor Quintero Street in Valverde opposite the Tourism Department. In La Palma, the demonstration will begin at Alameda Square and head to the island council in Santa Cruz de La Palma.
No events have been announced yet for La Gomera or La Graciosa, a tiny island north of Lanzarote. La Gomera was one of the last islands to join the protests on April 20. Eventually, a gathering took place, with around 300 people attending.
In Caleta de Sebo, the capital of La Graciosa, residents also read a manifesto expressing their frustration over the management of protected natural areas.