Palma de Mallorca residents march against mass tourism
6:16 PM EDT, July 22, 2024
On Sunday, Palma de Mallorca, the largest city on the Balearic island of Mallorca, held a protest against mass tourism. Several thousand residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the large number of tourists visiting their island.
The demonstration included representatives from various social organizations and movements, including city and ecological activists and ordinary residents. In conversations with the media, the demonstrators expressed their concerns that the mass influx of tourists causes traffic chaos in Mallorca, leads to environmental degradation, and drastically increases the cost of living.
During the protest, participants chanted slogans expressing dissatisfaction with the current situation. These slogans included "Go back home!" "Don't destroy our island!" "It's time to stop," "Those who love Mallorca don't destroy it," and "Give us back Mallorca!"
Some demonstrators brought banners with inscriptions such as: "We're not fighting tourists, but the destruction of Mallorca," "Put an end to tourism!" and "We want a dignified life!".
Wave of protests against mass tourism
Protesters put forward a series of demands to reduce the negative impact of tourism on their island.
These included proposals such as limiting the number of accommodations, designating island areas where tourists cannot stay, and introducing entry limits to Mallorca for cars not registered on the island.
The Sunday demonstration is another protest against mass tourism in Palma de Mallorca. Similar protest actions have been organized recently in other Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Alicante, Seville, and Malaga.