Protests against mass tourism "Kill tourists" graffiti appears on Mallorca
Protests against mass tourism at the Ballermann on Mallorca resurfaced on Sunday. Graffiti calling for violence against tourists was later discovered in several resorts.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Resistance to mass tourism is growing on the Spanish vacation islands, as evidenced by major protests.
- On Mallorca, there was a small demonstration on Sunday at Ballermann, where people once again protested against the effects of tourism.
- During the demonstration, graffiti with slogans glorifying violence such as "Kill a tourist" were discovered.
- The island's tourism associations are trying to play down the significance of these protests as the actions of a small, noisy minority.
The Spanish vacation islands are increasingly fed up with mass tourism. At the end of April, 55,000 locals protested against the negative consequences of tourism on the Canary Islands. Up to 10,000 people also took to the streets in Mallorca at the end of May to demonstrate against the rising cost of living due to tourism.
One of the main reasons for the discontent is the housing shortage exacerbated by vacation rentals. Many locals can barely afford to live on the island. Traffic jams, noise and dirt are also an increasing burden on local residents.
Displacement through tourism
Last Sunday, another small protest took place on Mallorca, this time focusing on the popular Ballermann beach.
The protest actions on the beach were launched in response to a statement by Manuela Cañadas, the spokesperson for the right-wing populist Vox party in the Balearic parliament.
She had advised islanders to avoid the beaches of Mallorca in July and August. In their opinion, it is no longer possible to go to the beach without worries as it used to be.
This statement caused outrage among many Mallorcans, who feel increasingly displaced by tourists on their own island.
150 demonstrators at Playa de Palma
As reported by "Mallorca Magazin", around 150 demonstrators gathered on the beach of Playa de Palma on Sunday afternoon to express their displeasure in front of hundreds of mainly German tourists.
The demonstrators carried signs and banners with slogans such as "Let's reclaim our beaches" and "We're going to the beach like we used to". The demonstration was organized by the group "Mallorca Platja Tour".
Beach also belongs to Mallorcans
"We want to draw attention to the fact that Mallorca is simply too crowded now," said demonstrator Reyes to Mallorca Magazin. Her colleague Eric agreed: "We must finally put a limit on mass tourism on the island."
"We want to remind people, even if only for a few hours, that the beach belongs to all Mallorcans," activist Eloy told the newspaperDiario de Mallorca.
The tourists who took photos of the action and banners such as "Let's occupy our beaches" or simply "Enough is enough" understood this. "The action is not directed against them, but against the tourism model," said Eloy.
Aggressive graffiti against tourists
Although the demonstration on Sunday was smaller, it was less peaceful than previous protests. As the "Mallorca Zeitung" reported, several graffiti appeared in vacation resorts such as Manacor. "Kill A Tourist" was just one of the aggressive messages.
The island's tourism associations are trying to play down the significance of these protests. "It's a tiny minority shouting very loudly," the newspaper quoted a spokeswoman for the hoteliers' association as saying.
Germans are divided in their opinion
Among German holidaymakers on Mallorca, opinion is divided over the latest protests. "That's nonsense, during the pandemic there was nothing to eat here because there were no tourists, and now they want to get rid of them," says Guido G., who is on vacation in Playa de Palma.
Mario Z. from Berlin takes a different view: "I can understand that people are fighting for less tourism here. I also think it's a bit more crowded than usual here this summer."
