HORDES of anti-tourist protesters have taken over Majorca’s beaches in the latest efforts to squeeze out foreigners.
Pictures showed families and other locals gathered under umbrellas covered in the slogan “Ocupem Les Nostres Platges”, which translates in English to: “We occupy our beaches.”
SolarpixMajorcan families gather on the beach of Sa Ripita on Saturday in protest of mass tourism[/caption]
SolarpixSome 50 locals are estimated to have attended the protest[/caption]
SolarpixDemonstrators attempt to drive out tourists and keep them off Majorcan beaches[/caption]
‘Tourist go home’ messages are scrawled across Majorca and other Spanish holiday hotspotsCanarian Weekly
Demonstrators flocked to Majorcan beaches at the weekend in yet another display of locals’ discontent with holidaymakers and mass tourism.
They were seen huddled together at the coastal resort of Colonia De Sant Jordi, east of the island’s capital, Palma.
A group called Mallorca Platja Tour – Majorca Beach Tour – had earlier campaigned online for locals to “occupy” the island’s beaches.
The group wrote on X: “Call for residents to fill the beaches of Mallorca as a protest against overcrowding.”
“We invite all the residents who live near the beaches to go there to recover our beaches and enjoy them as before.”
Mallorca Platja Tour described the protest as “a civic, peaceful and family response” to mass tourism, explaining participants would “simply go swimming, to show that the beaches belong to everyone, they are a public asset and we are not going to resign ourselves”.
The group is said to be organising a mobilisation for mid-July.
Saturday’s protest appeared to have been sparked by comments made by Manuela Canadas, a spokeswoman for far-right wing party Vox in the Balearic Islands’ regional parliament.
She said in reference to the protest: “I understand the discontent but us Majorcans, who live directly or indirectly from tourism, cannot expect to go to the beach in July and August like we did years ago.”
Ms Canadas added: “There are other more attractive destinations and we can end up going hungry because here there’s a lack of jobs.”
Locals were previously urged by anti-tourism protesters not to reveal Majorca’s stunning beach spots to foreigners via social media.
Stickers were last month spotted plastered around beach entrances with the phrase: “Don’t tag this beach, b****!”
Tourism company TUI declared the Balearic Islands had “reached capacity” and asked holidaymakers to look elsewhere when booking their next holiday.
As many as 10,000 people took to the streets of Palma last weekend to demand limits on the number of visitors allowed.
Tourist bosses said the protests were starting to bite and expressed they were worried about the future of their businesses.
Anti-protests continue elsewhere in Spain.
Large-scale demonstrations in the Canary Islands in April saw more than 50,000 people fill the streets of Tenerife to protest tourism on the island, holding placards which read: “You enjoy, we suffer.”
Campaigners claim mass tourism is causing housing shortages, major environmental damage, and driving down wages.
A local told Balearic Islands newspaper Ultima Hora: “Overcrowding affects us residents first by making it more expensive and worsening our quality of life, but tourists are also harmed.
“For this reason, our campaign seeks to involve them in the search for solutions to alleviate this problem.”
Some say locals have been forced to live in tents and cars as a result of foreigners squeezing them out of affordable housing.
The weekend’s beach protest came as a British stag-do was arrested at Balneario Illetas beach club, located between Palma and Magaluf, due to the group’s alleged role in a violent brawl.
Shocking footage appeared to show security guards come face to face with the allegedly drunken holidaymakers on the sand.
One waiter was said to have been hit in the head and two off-duty cops injured before the Brits were hauled into a Palma court in handcuffs – and released from custody just in time for the wedding.
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
MAJORCA and Menorca are just some of the European hotspots implementing anti-tourist measures.
Many top holiday destinations across the continent are taking action to prevent unwanted travellers from taking over their towns and cities.
Locals feel they can no longer live in the iconic destinations because they have become overcrowded, unsafe and uncomfortable.
They say there are too many cars on the roads, traffic congestion, overcrowded beaches, blocked access roads, ruined beauty spots and just too many holidaymakers flocking to the island which expects record figures this summer.
In April, thousands of people took to the streets in Tenerife to demand restrictions on holidaymakers after telling Brits to “go home”.
The anti-tourist hordes filled a square in the capital brandishing banners including some that read “You enjoy we suffer” in English.
Protests also took place at the same time on other popular Canary islands including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
The marches were organised under the slogan “The Canary Islands have a limit.”
Hotel bosses in Benidorm have even admitted they are “very worried” by the anger growing amongst island residents but branded holiday homes in Spain a “virus”.
More recently, the Committee on Tourism, Trade, Employment, Culture and Sport reportedly approved an initiative to reintroduce a cap on cruise ships to Palma, Majorca’s capital.
Politicians are keen to implement a new set of rules on cruise ships in terms of taxation, the environment or the use of less polluting fuels to lower numbers coming into the Balearics.
SolarpixProtesters gather near umbrellas with the slogan: ‘We occupy our beaches’[/caption]
SolarpixThousands take to the streets to protest tourism in Majorca[/caption]
SolarpixBusinesses are said to be worried about the impact of protests on their trade[/caption]
SolarpixAs many as 10,000 people demand limits on the number of visitors allowed in Majorca[/caption]
SolarpixBritish holidaymakers are booed by protesters during an anti-tourism demo in Palma[/caption]
MirrorpixOne protester holds a placard which reads: ‘SOS residents’[/caption]
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