Welcome to another entry in our column, “Weirdest World News of the Week.” As you may know, the world is a very strange place. So, every seven days, we round up the strangest events that have happened around the world, purely for your enjoyment.
From Barcelona’s anti-tourism tactics to cyclists fined for kissing, these stories are sure to provoke amazement, or at least bewilderment, at the strange world around us.
Anti-tourism protesters fire water guns at tourists in Barcelona
Thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona over the weekend to protest against overtourism, some armed with brightly coloured water pistols, sending confused tourists fleeing restaurant terraces and abandoning half-eaten meals.
Protesters held up signs that read “Tourists go home.” pic.twitter.com/eG49FjHlUA
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 9, 2024
Protesters in Barcelona are hitting back at mass tourism in the city with water guns.
Over the weekend, thousands of anti-tourism protesters marched through the city, chanting “tourists go home”, holding signs and spraying water pistols at tourists dining in restaurants.
According to official figures, Barcelona is set to generate about $13.8 billion in revenue from around 26 million tourist nights in 2023, but local activists complain that excessive tourism is driving up prices and putting pressure on local public services.
The group that led Saturday’s protests, the Regional Assembly for the Degrowth of Tourism, has put forward several proposals to reduce the number of tourists visiting Barcelona, ​​including closing cruise ship terminals and ending public spending on promoting tourism.
Man arrested in China for smuggling over 100 snakes in his trousers
A man has been arrested in China after attempting to smuggle more than 100 live snakes by hiding them in his trousers, media reported.
Authorities said the man was trying to smuggle the reptiles from Hong Kong to the Chinese border city of Shenzhen.
“Upon inspection, customs officials found six canvas drawstring bags stuffed in the pockets of the passenger’s trousers and sealed with tape,” China’s customs authority said in a statement on Tuesday.
“When opened, each bag contained live snakes of various shapes, sizes and colours.”
Officials added that many of the snakes involved in the incidents were non-native species.
Bullets are being sold in vending machines at US grocery stores
Vending machines selling ammunition have been installed in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas.
American Rounds, a Dallas-based developer of the computer-controlled machines, has installed one in Alabama, four in Oklahoma and one in Texas, and CEO Grant Magers told The Associated Press that it plans to install a second in Texas and one in Colorado “in the coming weeks.”
The company says the machines use ID scanners and facial recognition software to verify a buyer’s age before purchasing ammunition.
While Magers claims American Rounds is about “responsible gun ownership,” gun control advocates worry the introduction of ammunition vending machines will only lead to more mass shootings across the country.
Nick Saprina, senior vice president of legal and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety, told The Associated Press, “In a country where guns and ammunition abound, and where guns are the leading cause of child deaths, we don’t need to further normalize the sale and advertising of these products.”
Tour de France cyclist fined for kissing wife
A French cyclist has been fined for kissing his wife during a time trial at the Tour de France.
Lidl-Trek rider Julien Bernard was fined 200 Swiss francs ($223) after pausing to give his wife a quick kiss during the seventh stage of the race.
The International Cycling Union said Bernard was fined for “inappropriate or improper behaviour during the race and for bringing the image of cycling into disrepair”.
The cyclist later issued a playful apology to the governing body, writing on social media that he regretted “tarnishing the image of the sport” but said he would “pay the fine every day and relive this moment”.
[Image credit: YouTube]
