Mallorca Platja Tour, the group who organised the protest against beach overcrowding at Caló des Moro on Sunday, have "denounced" the actions of the Guardia Civil and Santanyi Police.
Police intervention, they say, was "totally intimidatory". Mallorcans were being asked to show identity, while "tourists" were being allowed through.
The group insists that Sunday was not a demonstration, but a peaceful and festive act. "There were groups of friends, entire families, couples and people who had a common denominator: the love for this island. The protest nature of the act was sincere."
Volunteers explained the reason for the gathering to tourists in a polite manner and in their own languages. "At no time was there any problem with them. We cannot understand that this peaceful meeting was curtailed by the security forces."
The Guardia Civil interpreted the gathering as having been a protest without prior permission from the Spanish government's delegation in the Balearics. The chief delegate, the former mayor of Calvia, Alfonso Rodríguez, has confirmed that this permission should have been sought.
Political response to events on Sunday has come from President Marga Prohens. On Monday, she conveyed her "maximum respect" for the protest but echoed the views of the mayor of Santanyi, Maria Pons - Caló des Moro "is a natural, small, fragile and protected space, which needs a break". She expressed her support for the Guardia Civil, who had "done their job", as there was no permission.
The president of regionalist party El Pi, Toni Gili, was of the opposite opinion. The presence of the Guardia Civil was "totally unnecessary".
3 comments
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I'm genuinely very happy for these people to have never been intimidated by the Guardia before. Where I live it happens pretty much daily, lucky them!
I’m looking forward to seeing the protesters running when confronted by angry tourists. The German hooligans will be up for a scrap I’m sure!
I watched Vidios of the protest and saw the protestors what they are protesting also in no way clear Clapping and disrupting the normal beach goers of which there was only a limited amount the Protest was illegal and was not approved and what the police did should be commended !