MORE anti-tourist graffiti has appeared at another Brit holiday hotspot as Athens joins the wave of protests calling for an end to “over-tourism.”
The sunny Greek capital, home to the iconic Parthenon has seen an increase in bitter graffiti messages urging tourists to “go home” – similar to the ones that have appeared in Spain in the past weeks.
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Furious locals took to the streets in Athens to protest over the hordes of tourists flocking to the city last month.
Demonstrations over the growing number of tourists in the capital have been happening since last year – with incidents of vandalism and arson in some cases.
But new anti-tourism graffiti has been sprayed onto walls across the city with one reading: “Tourists Go Home! Greek State Kills”.
Another disturbing graffiti shows two “Airbnb” towers in flames with the caption: “Tourists Enjoy Your Stay In The Cemetery Of Europe”.
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Other slogans reading “Tourists go home” and “No Tourists No Hipsters,” aim to send a message to holidaymakers.
It comes as protesters claimed tourists not only add to the city’s overcrowding but they are also taking their homes.
Demonstrators chanted: “They are taking our houses while they live in the Maldives”.
Local Anna Theodorakis, who was forced out of her home in Metaxourgio, Athens, told France24 at the time that the situation was becoming “very depressing”.
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She said: “I think the answer is to go in the streets and block everything and just not do something because people are losing their homes.”
Residents said they are worried over the rising numbers of Airbnbs over fears traditional neighbourhoods will start to disappear.
Dimitri, a property developer said: “Eighty percent of this neighborhood are Airbnbs.
“Tourists who come here want to see the Greek culture, so if no more Greeks are living here, tourists won’t want to come.”
Greece received a record-breaking 33.4 millions of tourists last year – with about 6.7 million of them arriving at Athens’ Eleutherios Venizelos Airport, according to the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (INSETE).
It comes as protesters at Spanish holiday hotspots have also been calling for measures to curb excess tourism.
Thousands took to the streets in Tenerife last month to demand restrictions on holidaymakers.
More than 15,000 people waved Canary Islands’ flags and blew horns to make a deafening noise in the capital Santa Cruz.
Residents said they are “fed-up” with “low quality” Brits who only come for the cheap beer, burgers and sunbathing.
A wave of anti-tourist graffiti spread across the island to tell Brits they are not welcome.
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While in Ibiza, locals have cried they “can’t take anymore” as they called for further restrictions on tourists visiting the island.
Protesters also gathered in Madrid and Barcelona to show their support.
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Source: Sun
