Majorca protests see anti-tourist locals storm streets as Brits given three-word warning
A bold campaign against tourists is firmly underway - with placard-wielding locals urging its government to "change the direction" on how it manages tourism.
Majorca is heaving with anti-tourism protestors brandishing placards, signs and even a model cruise liner. Locals are making their feelings known about the quantity of holidaymakers descending on their island every year - with a firm message.
A sea of people have slowly paced through the capital, Palma, as part of an ongoing demonstration against the huge waves of tourism the Balearics receives each year, along with the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.
Groups have been seen holding hand-written messages scrawled onto banners which read: "too many tourists." Another says: "We used to have a life..."
The ongoing pressures of tourism on locals has been a hot topic in recent months, with residents blaming constant surges of holidaymakers as a reason why rents are unaffordable and the housing crisis is reaching its peak.
The latest action has taken place in the height of summer, and just as some of the UK's schools have broken up for the summer holidays. Majorca is a key destination for Brits, with the party resort of Magaluf being only a 20 minute car journey away.
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Majorca protesters left looking stupid as locals who love tourists sabotage huge march
British tourists visiting Mallorca for their holidays have been defended during a massive protest march in the island's capital.
Police and the Balearic government confirmed this evening that around 10,000 protestors took to the streets of Palma from 7pm to demonstrate about mass tourism and its effects on their homes and livelihoods.
During a one-hour march, they displayed numerous banners, making it very clear that they were not happy with the number of holidaymakers, including Brits, who pour into Mallorca each year.
They carried hundreds of placards and banners, telling tourists to go home and that they were not welcome on the island.
Classless Majorcans use stinging Euros swipe towards Brits
It was only a week ago, but already anti-tourism campaigners used Spain's 2-1 defeat in the Euro 2024 final against England on a spiteful placard.
“The only thing coming home is you”, one of them reads - the slogan emblazoned over the top of an image of Kyle Walker.
Huge 10,000 turnout for tonight's demo
Thousands marching through the streets against 'saturation' in Palma
According to Spanish reports, the demonstrators are marching under the banner "change the direction".
Milers de persones participen a la manifestaci\u00f3 contra la saturaci\u00f3 tur\u00edstica a Palma.
\u2014 RTVEBalears (@RTVEBalears) July 21, 2024
Organitzada per @contracimera amb el lema 'Canviem el rumb'.
\ud83d\udcf8 @OliverJaume pic.twitter.com/cexOjYViso
Demonstrators send clear message: 'Too many tourists'
Protesters have been seen carrying placards with messages such as: "Too many tourists".
Others have been bemoaning the cost of housing, appearing to link spiralling rates with the prevalence of non-local residents and visitors.
Images from the scene
Pictures from the centre of Palma show thousands demonstrating.
Video footage from the scene of the protest
Footage taken from the centre of Palma, where locals are making their feelings known.
\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 | \u00daLTIMA HORA
\u2014 UHN Plus (@UHN_Plus) July 21, 2024
Cientos de personas se manifiestan en Palma de Mallorca, contra el turismo masivo. pic.twitter.com/lBKdUaXtql
Bizarre video released by anti-tourism campaigners
The scene-setting video for the Majorca protest is put to music and features images including queues to get onto iconic island cove Calo des Moro and a peloton of foreign cyclists of the sort that help pump hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local economy every year.
It starts with the lyrics: “There will be no more regattas, tomorrow is the last cruise" before continuing: “Goodbye rental cars, goodbye rat businesses. Houses will be cheap and we won’t see more cyclists.
It ends with an islander singing in Catalan: “We will plow the highways, the hotels will be empty and so the world will understand that there are too many tourists.”
Around 100 different organisations have already vowed to support this evening’s demo in Palma, the second in two months with the number of protestors expected to easily surpass 10,000 people.
Majorcan campaigners organise march against tourism
The video - and what it says
The scene-setting video for the Majorca protest is put to music and features images including queues to get onto iconic island cove Calo des Moro and a peloton of foreign cyclists of the sort that help pump hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local economy every year.
It starts with the lyrics: “There will be no more regattas, tomorrow is the last cruise" before continuing: “Goodbye rental cars, goodbye rat businesses. Houses will be cheap and we won’t see more cyclists.
It ends with an islander singing in Catalan: “We will plow the highways, the hotels will be empty and so the world will understand that there are too many tourists.”
"\u1d04\u1d00\u0274\u1d20\u026a\u1d07\u1d0d \u1d07\u029f \u0280\u1d1c\u1d0d\u0299. \u1d18\u1d0f\ua731\u1d07\u1d0d \u029f\u00ed\u1d0d\u026a\u1d1b\ua731 \u1d00\u029f \u1d1b\u1d1c\u0280\u026a\ua731\u1d0d\u1d07"
\u2014 Sos Can Vairet (@SOSCanVairet) July 20, 2024
\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f 21 \u1d05\u1d07 \u1d0a\u1d1c\u029f\u026a\u1d0f\u029f.
\ud83c\udfebParc de les Estacions
\ud83d\udd56 19.00#CANVIEMELRUMB #MenysTurismeM\u00e9sVida #PosemL\u00edmitsAlTurisme @GOBMallorca @contracimera pic.twitter.com/ijE5PyXsxC
Benidorm's mayor: This is 'economic suicide'
Toni Perez, mayor of British holiday favourite Benidorm, seemed to suggest overnight the groups behind the current wave of protests across Spain targeting the current tourist model were opening the door to the country's economic suicide with their actions.
Asked if he understood people warning about the “dangers” of mass tourism, he retorted in a newspaper interview: “Has anyone considered that in a European country in which its great strength is the car industry, the population demonstrates against it?”
Good afternoon from London
Hi, my name is Victoria and I will be one of the journalists at Express.co.uk leading the coverage of tonight's protests in Majorca.
Stay with us for all the latest information.
