Plans to stage a protest at mass tourism this weekend on Mt Teide have been given the green light despite objections by the island’s governing council.
Protestors are expected to converge on Saturday from 8am at Roques de García in the heart of the Teide National Park in a fresh mobilisation to draw attention to the social, economic and environmental drawbacks of the island’s tourism model.
The gathering is being organised by the ‘Canaries Tiene un Límite’ platform, which has been behind the biggest demonstrations in recent times against mass tourism and its effects.
The choice of location for this latest protest raised eyebrows in the Tenerife Cabildo. Officials were quick to point out that, as one of the main criticisms of the anti-tourism platform is the adverse impact of droves of visitors on the Canaries’ fragile ecosystems, it is incongruous that it should seek to persuade supporters to turn out in large numbers in one of Tenerife’s most sensitive conservation areas, the National Park.
An attempt to have the protest moved to the fringes of the Park was rejected by the Interior Ministry this week, a decision that the Cabildo’s environment chief Blanca Pérez says she “accepts but does not agree with”.
“If the demonstration has to be take place up Teide, we proposed an alternative location that would be less disruptive and entail less impact on the Park habitat. However, this was turned down” said Pérez.
A particular concern also is the prospect that the main road through Teide might be partially unusable for up to six hours on Saturday.
The Cabildo has also criticised the organisers of the protest for making political use of Tenerife’s most recognisable symbol, the majestic Teide volcano. Island president Rosa Dávila had earlier voiced her anger at the plans, insisting that “Teide is not a decorative background for ideological battles nor a protest venue. It is a sanctuary of nature that has to be respected and protected”.
However, her emphasis on the need to protect Teide’s fragile habitats is seen by some as itself incoherent with reports that the authorities have offered strong support to have next year’s Vuelta Ciclista a España cycling race finish on Mt Teide, which would require a massive mobilisation of vehicles and equipment and would likely attract tens of thousands of spectators.
