Anti-tourism protests on the Balearic Islands will move from the streets to the shoreline this weekend in a bid to recover Mallorcan beaches from overcrowding.
This Saturday 1 June, residents are being called to protest by setting up on the Spanish island’s beaches by the social media group Mallorca Platja Tour.
The anti-tourism movement says plans for a larger demonstration on Sunday 16 June will be made from 10am on Sa Ràpita Beach at this week’s protest.
In posts to Twitter/X, the group said: “This Saturday, the first of June, we will swim at Platja de Sa Ràpita (in front of the CN) at 10:00 a.m.
“Beaches belong to everyone.”
Using the hashtag #OcupemLesNostresPlatges, or ‘let’s occupy our beaches’, Mallorca Platja Tour “invite all the residents near the beaches to go for a swim, recover our beaches and enjoy them as before”.
The movement started in response to statements from Manuela Cañadas, a spokesperson for right-wing party Vox, who said that Mallorcans “cannot expect to go to the beach in July and August like years ago”.
Mallorca Platja Tour estimates at least 500 people will “fill the beaches” on Saturday with “laughter and watermelon”.
In Palma, protesters against overtourism have now proposed taxes for cruise ship passengers, fewer rental cars and revised rubbish charges for holidaymakers.
Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, told a Sustainability Committee: “We also propose limiting the number of cruise ships or allowing only those that have Palma as their home port.”
Last Saturday, thousands of locals made their way through the island’s capital, warning tourists to “go home” with banners that read “Mallorca is not for sale”.
The estimated 10,000 protesters headed for Weyler Square, where holidaymakers were out for dinner and drinks.
Banc del Temps spokesperson Javier Barbero, one organiser of the large demonstration in Palma, said: “If measures aren’t taken we will continue taking to the streets until we see action.”
