Protestors have been demonstrating against overtourism in Mallorca once again, as thousands fear one of the most popular beaches on the island will become ‘another Magaluf’.
Around 10,000 people waded into the sea at a well-known beauty spot on the island to call for better protection of the coast and natural attractions.
They fear a relaxation of planning rules will open the door for the construction of new hotels and apartments, as well as new car parks, power lines and the extraction of sand.
The demonstration included the formation of a huge human chain.
Organisations including the ecology group GOB, Terraferida and the ‘Menys Turisme Menys Vida’ platform (‘Less tourism, more life’) gathered at the natural beach of S’Arenal de sa Ràpita to protest over the Balearic government’s ‘destructive’ policies.
Locals have been protesting against overtourism in popular holiday hotspot Mallorca
Many protestors took to the water to discourage the mass tourism in the region
They want greater protection for natural areas. They fear politicians will ruin Es Trenc natural park and beach, saying they do not believe officials who promise it ‘will not be touched, even one metre’.
‘Who wants Mallorca does not destroy it,’ they chanted. ‘We are not asking for utopias but for concrete and urgent measures for the common good.’
Tonina Siquier, vice-president of the GOB, said the demonstration was a ‘resounding success that exceeded all forecasts.
She explained they were in Es Trenc to protect the natural space and regretted having to repeat ‘demonstrations of these characteristics, more typical of other decades.’
The rally echoed those held in 1977, 1983, 1990 and 2012.
President of the Balearic government, Marga Prohens, described the warnings about the alleged lack of protection as ‘hoaxes’ and the Minister of Agriculture, Joan Simonet, recorded a video in the area guaranteeing protection.
One sign translates as: ‘Do not touch Es Trenc, let’s defend all natural spaces’
But in a manifesto, the protest groups said: ‘No matter how much Minister Simonet makes videos promising that not a single square metre of Es Trenc will be left unprotected, the reality is that this new legal framework is tailor-made to fill Es Trenc with constructions, beach bars, car parks, beach services and tourist uses of all kinds.’
The text also warns that with ‘a little leeway and good will’ apartments, hotels and complementary offers will arrive.
‘A S’Arenal in Campos and a Magaluf in the south of the island. That is what they want,’ they added.
‘Menys Turisme Menys Vida’ has organised large-scale demonstrations, including a historic protest on July 21, 2024, which gathered around 50,000 participants in Palma to demand limits on tourism and highlight social and ecological concerns.
Protesters have used creative methods such as barricades, luminous messages on buildings, and symbolic models of planes and cruise ships to draw attention to the issues.
It’s not the first wave of protests in Spain.
Activists announced their intention to take to the streets of the Mallorcan capital, Palma, as they staged a mini-protest outside a cathedral in the city
In June, activists announced their intention to take to the streets of the Mallorcan capital, Palma, as they staged a mini-protest outside a cathedral in the city.
Ahead of last June’s march, group activists held up a sightseeing bus.
Another demo has been planned for 7pm on July 26 – just over a year after thousands marched in Palma on a day which ended with around 100 activists banging drums in the city centre after their protest finished.
Spokesman David Comas said: ‘We can’t cope with more tourists.’
He said his island had been turned into a ‘theme park’ where it was now ‘impossible’ for young people like him to ‘become independent and manage to obtain decent housing.’
Sources said the July 26 date had been picked so smaller protests could take place in the weeks leading up to the main march.
Thousands of people marched the streets of Spain holding up signs saying ‘Mallorca is not for sale’ on May 25, 2024
Protestors set off smoke and even fired water pistols at holidaymakers during protests in June last year
The Canary Islands and the Balearics have been at the forefront of anti-tourist protests over the past two years, although they have also taken place in cities like Barcelona and Malaga.
Some foreign tourists have faced abuse during marches and protest actions in places like Mallorca, where, in May 2024, holidaymakers endured booing and jeering as they ate their evening meals in a local square in Palma. Officials were forced to apologise.
Similar protests were staged throughout the spring and summer elsewhere in Spain.
In April last year, locals fired water pistols at a tour bus outside Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia.
Meanwhile, in 2024, anti-tourism protesters armed with banners and placards stormed a party beach in Mallorca.
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