WYD Economics

The newspapers are insisting that the protests are about Spain paying 60 million Euros to have WYD be held in Manila.

OTWOMD blog points out:

In fact, 80% of the expense of the event will actually be financed by thousands of young people coming from all over the world, delegates and pilgrims who will flock to Madrid with their registration fees. 20% of the remaining expense is financed by corporate sponsors and individual Catholics. Actually, the Spanish Government would profit at least $140 Million dollars from this event alone through commodities, hotels, and tourism.

Presumably the gov't will have to provide security but that's another thing altogether...

isn't it ironic that this huge pilgrimages are rarely given press, unless some protester causes violence? And it's not just WYD: It's the Haj and the millions who make pilgrimages to various Hindu, Muslim, or Christian shrines all over the world who get ignored.