Police fired rubber bullets and used batons on protesters as between 25,000 and 75,000 people took part in Majorca's biggest-ever demonstration against mass tourism in Palma on Sunday. The march remained peaceful until the final stage, when authorities closed the endpoint at Ses Voltes for safety reasons, sparking scuffles and angry shouts.
Clashes Erupt as Police Close Endpoint
Two police cordons were placed on the ramp of the hotel Dalt Murada and on the promenade by the lake to control access. Police justified the measure citing the possibility of a crowd crush amid an influx of people much larger than expected. Thousands of marchers were unable to hear the reading of the final manifesto. When demonstrators tried to gain access, officers could not prevent a small group from jumping over fences. Several people were hit by police batons, and officers fired rubber bullets. A small group of demonstrators threw objects, mainly plastic bottles. Videos show armed police in full riot gear chasing demonstrators through the city's main square.
Injuries, Arrests, and Organizers' Demands
At least seven people were injured, two of them seriously. The island's press reported several protesters suffered head injuries with gashes and cuts. Two people were arrested. In their manifesto, organisers from the campaign group Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) claimed 'Mallorca is at the limit' and said the island's saturation ceiling 'was exceeded years ago'. They argued that tourist pressure no longer only affects the coastline or natural spaces but also access to housing. According to the organisers, 'touristification invaded our coasts, then our towns and our cities and is currently occupying our homes', noting there are more than 105,000 accommodation places for tourist use on the island. They also claimed a 'wave of repression' against the anti-touristification movement after a police investigation into graffiti on real estate and tourist establishments, and noted two women were arrested earlier in the week and taken to court in handcuffs before being released.
The platform directly links tourism expansion with the residential crisis and claims that not being able to have a decent life 'expels us from our island and more and more of us are forced to leave'. In the year prior to regional and municipal elections, organisers demanded an immediate political response: 'It is the last summer before the elections and every day that passes without decisive action on the tourist monoculture will have serious consequences for the habitability of Mallorca,' they warned. They also criticised the promotion of the solar eclipse scheduled for August 12 as a tourist attraction, saying it is used to 'attract more visitors, increase prices exorbitantly and ignore the collapse it can generate'. The platform has called for demonstrations to continue and announced a new protest on August 8.
