In the past decade, rents have almost doubled, but wages have stayed the same. Hundreds of thousands of properties have become holiday lets, and developers are snapping up real estate to cash in on the tourism boom. Spain’s Prime Minister calls it a “housing emergency”, as homelessness rises fast. Barcelona native Josep’s apartment building became a flashpoint after protestors successfully blocked its purchase by private investors. “You are not only fighting for your home, but also for the city”, he explains. The issue is not limited to Spain’s metropolis either; in the Canary Islands, mass tourism is increasingly met with fierce resistance. Outside the Ministry of Tourism, activists burnt photos of politicians and hoteliers and vandalized keypads: “We feel the need to carry out more forceful, combative action to receive a response”, explains one spokesperson.