TOURISTS have been branded a ‘plague’ by locals in southern Spain ahead of a huge planned protest this weekend.
Malaga lawyer Luis Navarrete took to X to blast how a once traditional cafe in the centre of the city is now called ‘John Scott’s’.
He wrote: “Our central cafe is now called John Scotts and at 11am it stinks of guiris and pints of beer.
Nuestro café central ahora se llama John Scotts y a las 11 de la mañana apesta a guiris y a pintas de cerveza.
Se han cargado nuestra identidad, han prostituido todo lo que han podido a nuestra ciudad.
Esto merece un cambio. https://t.co/dKV98FcbyY
— Luis Jiménez Navarrete (@luisjimnav) June 25, 2024
“They have destroyed our identity, they have prostituted everything they could in our city. This deserves a change.”
Guiri is a term used to describe typically British or other northern European tourists.
It comes ahead of a ‘historic’ protest in the centre of Malaga city, which is due to take place from 11.30am on June 29.
Protesters are being urged to gather on Plaza de la Merced this Saturday where they are expected to hold up banners and chant anti-tourism slogans.
Other locals responded to Navarrete’s post, with one branding ‘guiris’ a ‘plague’.
Jesus Toboada wrote: “The centre of Granada reeks of bars with menus in English.
“Instead of traditional bars with tapas and bocadillos, burger joints, sushi restaurants and shops selling turron in the middle of summer are proliferating.
“The guiris are spitting on the locals in their own city.”
Turron is a nougat treat that is traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season across Spain.
But shops solely selling the treat all year round are popping up in tourist hotspots – and are often seen by locals as a sign of gentrification and a result of ‘excessive tourism.’
Luka Trinidad, from Cadiz, wrote on X that his city ‘is also suffering this plague.’
