In a dramatic encounter, local residents in Spain confronted tourists, demanding they leave as a cycling tour inadvertently led them into the midst of an anti-tourism demonstration. This tense confrontation unfolded in the narrow lanes of Valencia’s picturesque Old Town.

The encounter, captured on video, reveals the heated exchange between the two groups. The Spanish locals can be heard shouting “Go Home” at the tourists, who are reportedly Dutch. In response, the tourists fired back with expletives, escalating the tension.

This incident took place on Sunday along Calle Danzas, a street where neighborhood association members had assembled for the protest. The situation grew particularly intense, with both sides appearing on the brink of physical confrontation.

Among the tourists, a female cyclist seemed especially distressed, standing at a distance with tears welling in her eyes as the scene unfolded. The palpable tension underscored the growing friction between residents and the influx of visitors in the area.

One of the female cyclists seemed on the verge of tears as she watched on from a safe distance. 

The distraught tourist was later filmed shouting as another cyclist’s bike fell to the ground during a chaotic round of pushing and shoving.

After the tension eased, the Spaniards could be heard shouting ‘Fuera, fuera’ (‘Get out, get out, leave’) while the tourists, now on foot, walked away.

One of the holidaymakers turned back, raised his fist in the air and shouted ‘f*** you,’ which was echoed by one of his companions.

In response, one of the locals provocatively lifted her top and patted her hand on her buttocks to taunt them.

After a heated exchange of words, the tourists and locals pushed and shoved each other 

A group of tourists walk away after a tense confrontation with Spanish locals almost led to a brawl

In a clip, a female tourist can be seen close to tears and urging her group to leave the heated argument 

A crowd gathered as the locals and holidaymakers hurled insults at each other in a narrow street 

A Valencia-based association whose name in English translates to ‘Neighbourhood in Danger of Extinction’ claimed overnight that the incident occurred because the cyclists wanted to cross an area where they were holding an event. 

It was claimed that they refused to dismount or slow down. The association admitted shouting ‘Tourist Go Home’ but accused the Dutch holidaymakers of turning violent.

Launching a new attack on mass tourism, a spokesman added: ‘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.’ 

The group claimed: ‘The tense moments occurred because of the intransigence of the tourists who wanted to cross the street where we were holding our event on their bicycles without getting off or slowing their speed.

‘Faced with this intransigence, the neighbourhood started shouting: ‘Tourists Go Home’ and when they heard this, that group of tourists turned aggressive and violent.’

The statement added: ‘Beyond this incident, the real violence that exists in the Old Town and many other neighbourhoods in Valencia, is the expulsion from the neighbourhood through violent evictions by the police and parapolice, the daily saturation of public spaces, the inability to rest at home due to noise in the street or tourist apartments, the commercialization of neighbourhoods and rising prices and the persecution of racialized and vulnerable people, etc.

‘For all these reasons, we in the neighbourhood denounce the attempt to criminalize the neighbourhood and housing struggle that has arisen after Sunday’s incident.

‘The least tourists can do is respect the protests and be aware of how their leisure activities can have a detrimental effect on our lives. Because this is not happening, we say loudly, ‘Tourists, go home!’

In a statement, a housing association claimed the incident occurred because the cyclists wanted to cross an area where they were holding an event

As the situation eased, the locals and tourists began a chant taunting each other 

An English-speaking former resident described the incident  as ‘unfortunate.’ He wrote online: ‘I loved the city while I was there. Nobody treated me like this.

‘My dream was to return to do a Master’s degree at the university and at the same time carry on improving my Spanish.

‘I just wanted to live simply and with respect towards other people. But if things are like this, I don’t know anymore what to think.’ One local responded: ‘Fortunately the majority of Valencians are not like that.’ 

Another former resident added: ‘I can’t believe this has happened in Valencia. What a disappointment the city I lived in. I returned this year and I tell you all it’s the most fantastic city I’ve ever known.

‘Are we going to let go of our egos? This creates a terrible image for Valencians.’

Spaniard Manel Marquez, a radio founder who describes himself online as an ‘anti-capitalist and ecologist’, said: ‘The tourists, basically the Dutch, don’t respect pedestrians in Valencia. This is not Rotterdam and you can’t cycle anywhere you want.

‘The Dutch tour operators should explain this to them. If you don’t understand it, don’t come.’

Dozens of protests against the effects of mass tourism have taken place in Spain over the past couple of years.

Graffiti in English left on walls and benches in and around Palm Mar in southern Tenerife at the start of April last year included ‘My misery your paradise’ and ‘Average salary in Canary Islands is 1,200 euros.’

A response left in English on a wall next to a ‘Tourists go home’ message read: ‘F*** off, we pay your wages.’

Around the same time, thousands of people in the Canary Islands took to the streets to demand their politicians tackle issues such as the lack of affordable housing and pollution, which locals linked to the growing influx of holidaymakers.

Officials in Tenerife said around 30,000 people took part, though organisers claimed the figure was closer to 80,000.

Last October, demonstrators stormed a Tenerife beach and surrounded holidaymakers in their swimwear during another anti-mass tourism protest.

The incident occurred after hundreds of protesters broke away from their planned seafront route in Playa de las Americas, in the south of the island, and took over Troya Beach.

Earlier this year, thousands took to the streets across Spain to demonstrate against mass tourism 

While some of the protests were peaceful, there were incidents where tourists were sprayed with water pistols and intimidated 

In places like Barcelona, tourists were targeted with water pistols during street demonstrations.

On June 15, thousands took to the streets of the Majorcan capital Palma hours after activists armed with water pistols targeted holidaymakers in the Catalan capital in a day of coordinated action across southern Europe. 

There were street demonstrations in the Basque city of San Sebastian, Granada in southern Spain and Italy,

The protest in Palma took place a day after a sightseeing bus was held up by organisers Menys Turisme Mes Vida, which in English translates as Less Tourism More Life.

Around 100 rowdy activists beating drums surrounded the upmarket eatery Cappuccino Borne next to a McDonald’s in the centre of Palma after their protest finished.

Police moved in to ease tension as the demonstrators held up cardboard posters reading: ‘As You Come I Have To Go.’

The protestors also chanted: ‘No Balconing’ in reference to the young tourists who have traditionally been blamed by islanders for the dangerous practice of jumping from Magaluf hotel balconies into their swimming pools.

The Balearic Islands Government vice-president, Antoni Costa, said afterwards their behaviour had been ‘unacceptable.’ Government officials said 8,000 people took part in the Majorca street march, but organisers put the number at 30,000.

Meanwhile, businesses in popular holiday destinations have blamed the protest for a dip in their revenue. Restaurants, bars, and beach workers claimed that the protests had scared off tourists, impacting their sales.