Assemblea 23-S is the umbrella title for the thirty associations and organisations which are due to take part in the demonstration against so-called tourist "massification" on 23 September.
A "manifesto" has been produced ahead of the demonstration which alludes to recapturing the spirit of past protests, such as the protection of Es Trenc from hotel development, the famous occupation of the island of Dragonera in 1977 and the objection to the Palma-Inca motorway. The manifesto refers to how Majorca of the late nineteenth century was an island visited by European aristocrats and "romantic travellers". By the 1960s, however, there was a very different model: "The Francoist authorities and the local 'caciques' decided to impose the tourism industry on a predominantly agrarian island."
Since then, it continues, "tourism has been sold as the sacred manna that would take the islanders from being backward". No one, the manifesto suggests, has "dared to oppose this hegemonic account". "Until now."
The "enormous benefits" of the tourism sector are thanks to the "precarious work of thousands of workers for whom the supposed benefits had no effect". Workers are paid close to the minimum wage, they have temporary contracts if they are lucky to have a contract at all. These contracts are for twenty hours when sixty hours are spent on arduous days' work that are the result of exploitation.
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A broader perspective:http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/287500/tourism-protests-a-wake-up-call-says-unwto-chief
James Thomson. I'm not bitter just being objective. I've been coming to Majorca sometimes up to eight times a year when I had money and enjoyed it all. The protests against us and the doubling of the tourist tax next year makes Majorca unaffordable to a lot of people. And i don't expect everyone to drop everything for me. If I don't feel welcome anymore then I won't come. Simple. About time the UK introduced a tourist tax. Pay for our NHS and public services properly then.
The island has been so busy the last 3 summers that it has had a deleterious effect on the quality of the holiday experience - higher costs for accommodation and entertainment, lack of availability of taxis, restaurant tables and overcrowded beaches. If the bitter comments from the likes of Stuart, John and Henry are an indication that they will holiday elsewhere in the future, I am sure that they will not be missed.
Will the last tourist on the island please turn the light off!
You need a realistic and logically set out alternative for income if you wish to get rid of tourism: so come on, protestors - what is it? There are plenty of column inches available. Or, do you not have an answer? I await your workable alternatives.
The only narrow minded people are in this case are not the Mallorcan people, but the "cosmopolitan" British (haha) people in the comments. What's wrong with protesting against a development you don't like. Or should we all just be silent slaves waiting for our monthly paycheck?
Workers pay and conditions are nothing to do with tourists but you will soon be back to being an ''agrarian Island'' but most of you will be unemployed so how will that make you better of.?
I hope this demonstration receives widespread coverage throughout Europe,both on TV and in the press. Maybe then the politicians ,trade unions,shopkeepers,bar owners ,etc will actually then come to the fore to say publicly this demonstration does not represent the people of Mallorca,If they do not,well we know the contempt,we the tourists are held in by Mallorcians. Unfortunately it will be time for the "nasty" tourists to move on!
If the comments in this paper and other sites are anything to go by they will be taking an express train to the dole queue very quickly. Nobody is going to visit a place where you are not feeling welcome. Plenty of cheaper and better places now.
Hang on a minute!!!! A bunch of socialist protesters want to reduce tourism (and employment) on this island, and want it back to 'an island visited by European aristocrats and "romantic travellers"Sorry, I'm confused...... but probably not as confused as they are!!