Wave of protests over bar closures

The dispute which is raging between the city council and owners of four bars in the Playa de Palma closed by the council intensified yesterday with an announcement that they would continue their protests. For the second night running staff and clients of the four bars blocked traffic and protested in Arenal and yesterday they demonstrated outside the Palma town hall. A spokesman for the owners of the four bars said that they were considering further protest actions which may not be so law-abiding. Despite the wave of protests yesterday the city council remains adamant that the four bars must remain closed for the next five days because they had broken council noise regulations. But the city council was accused of “favouring the interests of other bars in the area” by imposing the closure orders. On Tuesday night 4'000 German tourists and bar staff clashed with police. A spokesman for the bar owners denied a police report which alleged that the protestors had been given free beer and food.