Ten thousand locals took to the streets of Mallorca in a historic anti-tourism march demanding a change to the “destructive” impact of tourism.
On Saturday 25th May, thousands of locals gathered in Palma de Mallorca under the slogan “Mallorca is not for sale”.
The race started at 7pm at Ses Estaciones Park and finished at Born Street.
This was the first protest organised by the “time bank” collective, a community organisation designed to enable local people to exchange their time and labour.
Read more: Spanish ‘anti-tourism’ protests move to Mallorca: Activists plan massive demonstrations in Balearic islands
Young and old alike took to the streets to protest against the effects of mass tourism.
Photo: Facebook
This follows actions last month in the Canary Islands, where around 57,000 residents gathered to protest against mass tourism.
A major complaint from locals is a lack of affordable housing due to an overabundance of Airbnb, hotels and tourist rentals.
“Our ancestral land is for sale” and “This is not a tourist scare, it’s a Mallorca genocide”, read the posters, while protesters chanted “No no, they can’t drive us out of Mallorca”.
One local resident told Ultima Hora newspaper: “We’ve had enough. The politicians don’t want to get involved so ordinary citizens have no choice but to stand up. They want to take away our homes.”
Read more: ‘We won’t be coming back’: British tourists slam Mallorca drinks prices for ‘massive increase’ amid Covid-19 pandemic
For young people, the situation is particularly serious.
Locals say rising rents have forced them to live with their parents.
According to Banc del Tan spokespeople Javier Barbero and Carme Rains, “foreign investors are focusing on the interior areas of the island because that’s the only attractive place to buy.”
They are demanding that “necessary urgent measures be taken immediately” to resolve the issue.
These include declaring Mallorca a “real estate crisis area”, approving a moratorium on tourist rentals and guaranteeing living standards.
“People are really suffering. I don’t believe this government can change the tourism model.”
Read more: Spain’s ‘anti-tourism’ movement spreads to Granada: locals accuse tourist ‘invasion’ making city ‘unlivable’, graffiti on the rise
