Cruise passengers face blocked access as angry protesters set barricades on fire
Cruise ships carrying were docked in Barcelona when port workers blocked terminal access over potential pay cuts, forcing some travelers to haul their luggage.
Angry port workers in Barcelona, Spain, set a barricade ablaze Wednesday, blocking access to a cruise terminal and forcing passengers to haul their luggage on foot, according to local reports.
The protest took place near Barcelona's cruise terminals, where workers blocked an access road leading to the Porta d'Europa bridge, Spanish news outlet Crónica Global reported.
The workers were protesting potential pay cuts, with the road closures forcing cruise passengers to walk with their luggage instead of traveling by bus or car, the same outlet reported.
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Roughly 200 workers took part in the protest, which lasted about four hours, Spanish outlet Metrópoli said.
There was a burning barricade made of branches. Riot police were reportedly deployed to the area, according to Crónica Global.
Four cruise ships carrying a combined total of more than 13,000 passengers were in port during the disruption, according to Cruise Hive.
The vessels reportedly included Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas, Mein Schiff 7 and AIDAmar, which were visiting Barcelona.
Norwegian Escape was also in port preparing to embark passengers for a new voyage, Cruise Hive reported.
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Spanish outlets reported that the protest followed a government audit that found discrepancies between approved salary budgets and the amounts workers were actually paid.
Workers fear the findings could lead to pay cuts of up to 8%, according to local news outlet betevé.
Employees have argued they should not be penalized for the discrepancies.
"The solution is not to cut salaries," the workers' committee said in a statement Wednesday, translated from Spanish, according to maritime news outlet Diario del Puerto.
In a statement, the Port of Barcelona said it was required to correct the payroll discrepancies identified in the government audit but maintained that the issue was not the result of wrongdoing by the port, according to local broadcaster betevé.
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Barcelona is one of Europe's busiest cruise destinations, with the port recording nearly 4 million cruise passenger movements in 2025, according to the Port of Barcelona.
The disruption comes as Barcelona continues to grapple with broader tensions surrounding tourism.
Earlier in October, Fox News Digital reported growing tensions over tourism in Barcelona, where protests have raised concerns about the impact on visitors to the popular Spanish destination.
Earlier this summer, Barcelona officials pushed to increase taxes on cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours to as much as $35, as part of broader efforts to curb overtourism.
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The U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra issued a demonstration alert for Spain (not related to the port protests) on Oct.28.
"Demonstrations and protests continue to occur in Spain. While some demonstrations have been announced, including on October 31, other protests are spontaneous. Last minute changes can happen and may occur outside planned routes," the alert said.
"Local authorities may increase security measures, including road closures, traffic restrictions, or increased security presence in areas where the demonstrations will occur. U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and areas of unrest.
"Stay away from areas with large crowds or significant police activity," it added. "Even peaceful protests can turn confrontational and escalate into violence."