Lanzarote protest branded 'failure' as Canary Island group slams demonstrations

By Emily Wright, World News Reporter

A pro-tourism group in Lanzarote has branded the protests in the Canary Islands as a 'faliure'. (Image: Getty)

A pro-tourism association in Lanzarote has branded the mass protests that took place across the Canary Islands on Sunday, May 18 as a "failure". According to the "Lanzarote Loves Tourism" group, "only 1,500 participants out of a population of 164,000" took part in the protest on the island.

Some of its members, led by its president, Augusto Ferreria, went to various locations on the island on Sunday morning to demonstrate at the same time as the anti-tourism protest. "Today we took another step in showing respect for our island," Mr Ferreria said in an email sent to The Express. The association went out to cover graffiti left by the protesters in public spaces.

As many as 100,000 people are said to have attended the protest in Tenerife. (Image: Getty)

On Sunday, under the slogan of 18-M, protesters marched against the tourism growth model and the pressure on the archipelago's resources. As many as 100,000 people are said to have attended in Tenerife and another 40,000 in Gran Canaria.

It was a rather different story in Lanzarote, however. According to Lancelotdigital.com, local police have put the figure at only 1,500. Under banners with slogans such as "The Canary Islands have a limit" and "This is not progress is dispossession", the protest marched through the main streets of Arrecife.

The Lanzarote Loves Tourism group went out on Sunday to paint public spaces, such as the San Bartolome roundabout towards Zonzamas, white to cover up anti-tourist messages.

On the graffiti cleanup, Mr Ferreria described these as "messages that do not represent the councillors who truly love our land, and that are not an example of how to express demands. That is not love for our island."

"We love Lanzarote, and we believe that defending it means taking action—but always with a positive message and without destroying what has taken so much effort from all the people of Lanzarote.

"It's not just about saying it, it's about proving it through actions. Our landscape, our identity, our culture, and our monuments deserve respect.

"Thank you to everyone who joined us. This is only the beginning," the president concluded. "Because yes, Lanzarote has a limit—and also a responsibility. And we are going to protect it.

"Lanzarote Loves Tourism!"