On July 16, environmental activists in Spain carried out protests targeting luxury symbols of excess consumption, including a superyacht and a private jet, in an effort to draw attention to the environmental impact of the wealthy. The group, Futuro Vegetal, spray-painted a superyacht named Kaos in Ibiza and posted a video online with a banner stating, "You Consume Others Suffer," emphasising the unequal distribution of environmental impact, CNN reported on July 17. The activists highlighted that the richest 1% of the global population pollutes more than the poorest 50% and criticised their unsustainable lifestyle.
The yacht, reportedly owned by Nancy Walton Laurie, the billionaire heiress of Walmart, became the focal point of the activists' demonstration. The act followed a similar incident where a private jet was spray-painted at the Ibiza airport, temporarily causing runway closure. Futuro Vegetal described these actions as part of the "Jets and Yachts, the party is over" campaign initiated by Extinction Rebellion Ibiza, calling for the prohibition of private jets and an end to luxury emissions.
The Spanish Civil Guard detained two protesters involved in the yacht demonstration on July 16, but they were expected to be released on July 17. The climate group Extinction Rebellion (XR) expressed solidarity with the activists and reiterated their commitment to targeting the wealthy, emphasising that luxury activities and wasteful resource consumption are luxuries society cannot afford.
This demonstration adds to a series of actions taken by environmental activists in Spain. Earlier this month, XR activists plugged up holes on ten golf courses across the country to protest the excessive water use by golf courses during a severe drought period. These actions collectively underscore a growing movement's determination to raise awareness about the environmental consequences of excessive consumption and the need for more sustainable lifestyles.
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