Graffiti protester has become a symbol of resistance as a rising tide of visitors engulfs the local population
He, or she, is a Catalan cross between Banksy and an anti-tourism league. At night the mystery graffiti protester roams the streets of Barcelona's old quarter leaving behind markings on the streets that divide them into separate lanes for the tourists and the "normal" Barcelonans.
Every day the city hall sends out workmen to paint over the markings, afraid that someone is trying to push away the tourists who bring in welcome wealth but increasingly make native Barcelonans feel jostled off their own streets.
The paintings have so far appeared in three streets in the Gothic old quarter. One was found on the corner of Ferran and Avinyó streets – home to the prostitutes who inspired Pablo Picasso to paint his famous collection of naked women, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. A Picasso museum, housed in a medieval palace not far from the art school where the great painter trained, is among the draws that help make this one of the busiest tourism zones in Europe.
Two more street paintings were found in Carrer del Call and the Baixada de Sant Miquel – both in the tightly packed Gothic district, where tourists and local residents vie for space on the narrow, twisting streets.
Barcelona's security councillor, Assumpta Escarp, who also represents the old quarter, has called for the mysterious protester to come forward and explain what it is all about. "They should be brave and explain exactly why they want segregation," she said.
