A further incident in Barcelona has seen the tyres on bikes for hire to tourists being slashed. The town hall, which had seemed to be indifferent to the incidents, now says that it will take action, equating these examples of "tourismphobia" to xenophobia and saying that the "democratic city" of Barcelona will show zero tolerance. The Catalonian government is also vowing to take action.
Arran, which was behind protests in Palma last week when banners against "massification" were unfurled, was also responsible for an incident in the city on 22 July. This has only become widely known about since Arran posted a video on social networks on Tuesday. There was an attack on a restaurant - Mar de Nudos - on the Moll Vell. Confetti was showered over clients and their food. Flares were let off and banners contained messages such as "Tourism kills Majorca". Boats were also affected.
The restaurant manager, Carmen Sánchez, says that this took place around half eight in the evening. Around twenty protesters entered the restaurant. The police arrived, but the protesters left before they could be identified. Sánchez adds that she is all for freedom of expression, but they were attacking a restaurant that isn't to blame for anything. "They told us that tourism damages the island, but the majority of people live from it."
Arran says that it plans other protests aimed at "paralysing the mass tourism which is destroying Majorca and condemning the working class of the Catalan Lands to misery". The full title of the organisation is Arran Països Catalans, an allusion to the concept of independent Catalan-speaking parts of Spain, something that the CUP advocates.
The director general of tourism, Pilar Carbonell, expressed the Balearic government's rejection of the Arran protest. "In no way is it legitimate to put people and property at risk." The best way to gain improved distribution of the wealth generated by tourism and respect the environment is to achieve "social and economic balance", which is what the Balearic government is aiming to do.
Josep Lluís Bauzá, speaking on behalf of Ciudadanos at Palma town hall, condemned the attack and demanded that the mayor, Antoni Noguera, takes immediate action. Bauzá stressed the importance of sending a message of explicit condemnation and of not allowing space for intolerance, violation of the law and images that are not shared by the vast majority of society.
The Partido Popular in Palma also condemned the attack, while Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy described the various attacks, supported by the CUP, as colossal stupidity. "Everyone knows that the CUP is an organisation of extremists and radicals. They are of the extreme left with manifestos from centuries ago."
Maria Salom, the national government's delegate in the Balearics, called for there to be a defence of tourism, the islands' principal economic activity, and added that the National Police are investigating and will prosecute.
Meanwhile, left-wing parties and politicians as well as groups which have expressed opposition to tourist "saturation" were surprisingly quiet yesterday.
25 comments
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I sympathise in some respects, but all those hotels and the huge airport were built to accommodate tourists WITH government blessing. I used to enjoy my Mallorca holiday but, like many others, I have cancelled my reservation for 2018. I don't go on holiday to be the subject of hate. Sadly, once tourism fades to a trickle it will be the Mallorcans who suffer. Holidaymakers bring in a lot of revenue. So goodbye Mallorca. It was great while it lasted.
Palma city government makes it hard enough on tourists. A-Holes.
Although I think the Arran approach it completely counter productive and damaging, I also think that tourism is very good for the island, there does need to be more done to ensure the wealth filters down the pyramid. This is not unique to Mallorca or Spain but it's magnified due to the volume of wealth passing through people's hands, it's so visable. It is wrong that bins are not being cleaned in areas of the island, also another problem not only effecting Mallorca is that younger people cannot afford homes to live, same in the U.K. But again not to the same extent. Something needs to happen to redistribute wealth from the top 1% down. With the amount of money tourism generates, Mallorca should be heaven for locals, maybe time to find a better balance.
These are the same people that are complaining their economy is in the toilet and they have no jobs?! Driving tourism away is going to help them how exactly?
Remember many flights are also filled with persons just travelling back to the island as they work in London - myself for example - 30 flights per annum. You fly on Norwegian and it is 80% filled with Spanish flying back to the island after a holiday in the UK, normally visiting friends whom are working and living in the UK. So flight statistics issued do not give the correct view in my opinion.If you minimise flights you reduce the ability for the island residents to holiday themselves abroad at a cost effective price.
Pere, I came here 35 years ago. I agree tranquil, but the world has changed in 35 years. 20, 30 year olds want the ease of large shopping centres. They want the prospect of good jobs to travel the world.By all means go back 35 years. Pot holed roads, lack of diversity of shops, lack of diversity of restaurants. Visit London, New York, Venice, Rome, Italy - 365 days of tourist visitors. We in London love the tourists - jobs aplenty for all. How do you really think 95% of the population will work?Many tourists here are Spanish families from Madrid whom have holiday homes here? They are still tourists. The island is busy only for 6 weeks. This is disgusting behaviour. Greece will happily take your tourists.
413/5000 Very little know what is really happening in Majorca most of those who write here. For decades we already had tourism, and another type of industry and we lived well. Now everything is for tourism and nothing for the resident. To which he says we do not like to work: stop talking about ridiculous topics. I wish only half of the tourism that we have today would come, we would live better. Tourism does us no favors.
You may demonstrate all you wish but when there are no Euros in your pocket you may like to eventually work out where they used to come from!
Seven years ago you had Traspaso signs everywhere and 27% unemployment.
All the problems are caused by the government. Allowing too many all inclusive hotels allowing to many flights allowing too many cruise ships . Mallorcan people need not to look at the tourists but to look at the people running the Island and allowing it. There are only so many eggs you can fit in one basket but your government can't understand it and its up to them to control it .. It is not the tourists fault !!