As Gran Canaria’s major area is protected as a nature reserve, and the marine life is also related to this, people of the Canarias are quite concerned about oil drilling in the area. The major tourist attraction may be ruined by this, and an eventual catastrophy related to an oil rig would most probably have a very unpleasant impact to local tourism and the wild life too.

To demonstrate against the Spanish goverment’s decision, on 25 March more than 50,000 people participated in demonstrations at various locations. In Arrecife (Lanzarote) alone, some 20,000 people marched down the center, and about 15,000 in Puerto del Rosario.

In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, about 15,000 people participated departing from Parque Santa Catalina, supported by the president of Cabildo (Mario Cabrera),  the vice president of the Canary Islands (José Miguel Pérez) and other members of the regional goverment. The demonstrators used banners like “The Canaries say no to Repsol” and “Fuerteventura says no to oil and yes to renewables”.

The demonstrations reached  Tenerife too, and even Madrid and Barcelona, though, not in such numbers as in the Canarias.

The local Canarian population would benefit from the oil rig by getting 5000 new job positions, and significant investions into the islands – but, is it worth it?

More than 50 organizations joined the opposition of exploring and building the oil rigs previous to the domonstrations including political parties, social workers, unions, environmental organizations, and the list goes on, and will probably not end any time soon.