Tensions erupted in Valencia's Old Town on Sunday (October 19) when a group of local residents confronted foreign tourists on bicycles, shouting "Go Home" and "Get out" as the visitors responded with obscenities.
The incident unfolded in Calle Danzas, where members of a neighbourhood association had gathered. Footage showed a bottleneck developing as the cyclists attempted to pass through the area, with one woman appearing distressed as a bike fell to the ground amid pushing and shoving. One local was seen lifting her top and patting her buttocks in a provocative gesture, while a male tourist raised his fist and chanted expletives.
Valencia-based group 'Neighbourhood in Danger of Extinction' later claimed the confrontation began because the tourists refused to dismount or slow down when crossing a street where they were holding an event. The group admitted shouting "Tourists Go Home" but alleged the Dutch holidaymakers turned aggressive and violent.
An association spokesman used the incident to criticise mass tourism, saying: "The residents of Valencia and of the Old Town in particular, are anxious and desperate in the face of touristification and speculation that saturate the neighbourhoods and expel people from their homes. The large real estate investment funds and tour operators have become the masters of the city and governments are doing nothing to prevent it or to protect the residents."
Reactions online were mixed, with some former residents expressing disappointment and one local saying "Fortunately the majority of Valencians are not like that." Radio founder Manel Marquez, who describes himself as an "anti-capitalist and ecologist", insisted: "The tourists, basically the Dutch, don't respect pedestrians in Valencia. This is not Rotterdam and you can't cycle anywhere you want."
