This evening at 5.30pm, bar and restaurant owners along calle Blanquerna, with the support of sympathetic retailers and residents, are going to stage a demonstration in protest against Palma town hall’s plans to significantly reduce the number and size of terraces in key city centre areas.
Under the slogan "there is room for all of us in Palma", the Blanquerna protest is expected to be the first of many, as talks between the various sides involved in the dispute are unable to reach a deal.
A statement on behalf of the local restaurant and bar trade said: "It is perfectly possible for all of us to live in harmony in the city. Neighbours, clients, businesspeople and the terraces; there is plenty of room for everyone and everything."
The protest has a number of aims, primarily to force the town hall to back down over its crusade against terraces and to also demonstrate that there is no ill feeling between the general public and businesses with terraces.
The city centre’s hostelry sector maintains that the current terrace sizes are perfectly manageable and do not cause any problems for local residents or visitors. On the contrary, it claims that the spread of the terraces has brought new life to the capital and has created new jobs and greater income.