Yahoo TV

STORY: :: Thousands protest against America's Cup in Barcelona and demand more affordable housing

:: October 13, 2024

:: Ferran Navarro, Protester

“We are here because we are against the America's Cup because it takes a kind of city that we don’t like, a city for rich people only.”

:: Barcelona, Spain

:: Albert Valencia, Spokesperson, 'No America's Cup'

"The model city that we want is a sustainable city that puts neighbors in the center and that makes that neighbors can stay in the city and they don’t have to go away from Barcelona to other far away neighborhoods or to other towns around because they cannot pay the rent.”

Demonstrators demanded more affordable housing and chanted slogans urging tourists to leave their neighborhood.

Spain is struggling to balance promoting tourism, a key driver of its economy, and addressing citizens' concerns over unaffordably high rents due to gentrification and landlords shifting to more lucrative tourist rentals. Protests were also held in the capital, Madrid, calling for better housing conditions.

The America's Cup final started yesterday Saturday 12 October, between the defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, and the winner of the challenger trophy, INEOS Britannia.