The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Tourists pose for pictures at collapsed bar
RIOT POLICE in Barcelona used batons on residents protesting against a Louis Vuitton show attended by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Hundreds of protesters gathered to block entry to Park Güell, where the French fashion brand was unveiling a collection, over what they say is overtourism in the area.
Seven police officers were injured in the clashes and one arrest was made.
Residents around the park began their protest earlier in the week over the announcement that the gardens would be closed for two days and there would be restrictions on parking.
For many, it was the final straw in what they see as the steady loss of their community to tourists and outsiders.
Park Güell, built by the architect Antoni Gaudí, is a magnet for millions of tourists who visit Barcelona every year, prompting complaints by residents. The city council recently removed a bus service from Google Maps after local users said it was constantly rammed by backpackers.
On Thursday, the protest swelled amid chants of “Our neighbourhoods, not your catwalks”. Others unfurled a banner reading “Stop tourism invasion”. Vuitton was showcasing its Women’s Cruise 2025 Collection at an event attended by film stars Emma Stone, Ana de Armas and Sophie Turner.
“Barcelona must not hold events that privatise public spaces,” said Ada Colau, the Left-wing former mayor. Her Barcelona en Comú party is to demand an inquiry into why it was in Park Güell.
Majorcans hit out at ‘greed’ and ‘overtourism’ after beachfront restaurant caves in killing four people
SMILING tourists were seen posing for photographs outside a destroyed Spanish beach club which residents say may have collapsed partly because of overtourism.
Two German tourists and two local workers died on Thursday night when the rooftop area of the Medusa Beach Club in Majorca collapsed onto diners eating and drinking on floors below.
According to the Balearic Islands emergency service coordinator, seven other people are in hospital with very serious injuries and nine more are described as being seriously injured.
Medusa Beach Club announced on Wednesday that it had renovated its rooftop restaurant in an Instagram post.
It shared a picture of the terrace on social media with a glass balcony looking over Palma’s beach with the caption “Totally different, New rooftop”.
The head of planning at Palma city council said it was investigating whether the nightclub had operated with the necessary permits and if there had been a recent renovation that may have required legal approval.
It appears that part of the structure collapsed because of excess weight. According to Palma’s fire service chief,
Eder García, the terrace gave way and crashed down onto diners below.
Spaniards expressed anger at the tragedy and blamed a lack of control over building in the popular tourism area. María José Dueñas, an economist, said: “This is what happens when toxic touristification, greedy hoteliers take over entire cities/areas.
“The floor collapsed due to excess capacity, there are four dead and dozens of injured. Neither security nor urban regulations, everything is speculation.”
Francisco Nogales, of the Palma Beach residents’ association, told reporters: “We knew something like this could happen.
“These buildings are between 80 and 90 years old, inspections are not carried out and their condition deteriorates, so they need to be reinforced to be able to carry out this type of activities,” he said.
Eder Garcí, Palma’s chief firefighter, said of the collapse: “Investigations are still ongoing, but everything points to a combination of an outdated structure ‘This is what happens when toxic touristification and greedy hoteliers take over entire areas’
Benedict Smith US RepoRteR
JOE BIDEN’S granddaughter was seen holding hands with a former public schoolboy from London on Thursday at her first state dinner.
Natalie Biden, 19, was pictured with Rafael Hajjar, who is reportedly her boyfriend, clasped at the waist and locking hands at the event in Washington DC.
The pair are students at the University of Pennsylvania. Before moving to the US, Mr Hajjar attended a £30,000-a-year Wetherby Senior School in Westminster and then Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, which costs £26,000 a year.
He appears to be related to Fares Hajjar, a banker with France’s Credit Agricole who donated to Latymer’s foundation.
Natalie is the eldest child of Beau Biden, who died from cancer in 2015 and one of seven grandchildren of the president. Dressed in a white gown, she beamed as she appeared at the dinner with Mr Hajjar, who wore a dinner suit.
Mr Hajjar played in the 1st XV rugby team and captained a cricket team, according to his LinkedIn profile. He studied physics, chemistry, maths and further maths at A Level, achieving three A*s and an A. He is recorded as a rugby player at the university on the National College Rugby website.
Mr Hajjar’s Instagram account shows an emoji of the Syrian flag, followed by the French and English flags.
The state dinner, held for William Ruto, Kenya’s president, was also attended by Bill Clinton, the former president, and Don McLean, 78, the musician. and excess weight.” A police spokesman agreed that the terrace came down because of “excessive weight”.
Mariama Syll, 23, a Spanish waitress at the beach club was killed, along with 44-year-old Abdoulaye Diop, a man of Senegalese origin who is reported to have worked as a nightclub doorman.
The other two dead are reported to be female friends aged 20 and 30 who were on holiday from Germany.
Diop became a local hero after he and a friend rescued a man in the sea off Palma Beach seven years ago.
Those near the restaurant at the time of the collapse say that they heard a loud bang just after 8pm as the rooftop structure gave way. According to reports the venue was busy with some customers dancing in the upstairs terrace.