Madrid No Frills

Yesterday, pro-Palestine protesters successfully forced the cancellation of the final stage of the Vuelta a España, where an Israeli team had been competing. After weeks of coordinated disruption attempts across Spain, more than 100,000 demonstrators descended on Madrid, blockading the route using their bodies and fencing barriers. Riot police responded with tear gas and multiple clashes broke out between protesters and authorities.

In a quiet restaurant in Barrio Quintana, Annelis sits across from me filling out a survey on gender-based violence. Her chipped nails a silent witness to the relentless hours she’s spent scrubbing floors and bleaching bathrooms. When her employer recently complimented her manicure while backhandedly suggesting she must be earning too much – Annelis quietly corrected her. The truth is she painted her nails herself a few days ago, and already the polish is peeling, worn down by domestic labour invisible to most and often dismissed by those who benefit from it.

Tourists aren’t inherently bad, and they shouldn’t be told to go home. But after coordinated anti-tourism protests across Europe last weekend, it’s easy to feel uncertain. With headlines blaming visitors for everything from overcrowding to housing shortages, even the most conscious travellers may start to wonder if they’re no longer welcome. But this growing backlash, while rooted in real frustrations, doesn’t tell the whole story.

Some of us were stranded on trains, trapped in lifts or stuck in traffic jams — but the emergency services never failed. At Atocha station, thousands endured what might have been the worst day of their year, while others managed to find small moments of joy: catching up on journaling, entertaining their kids, making the best of an unexpected end to their holiday in Madrid. Traffic lights were out, but cars didn't speed. Drivers slowed and pedestrians crossed in an unspoken agreement of safety.

Since Monday, you might have noticed we’ve been dealing with a growing rubbish crisis as bin collectors have gone on an indefinite strike.

Since Mame Mbaye’s death in 2018, a powerful vigil and march take place every year in his honour. Last night, the streets of Lavapiés echoed with drums and song, and the chants of protesters united behind a simple demand: respect for migrants’ human rights.