The Balearic government said this morning that it regretted the incidents that took place in the anti-mass tourism demonstration through the streets of Palma on Sunday. At the end of the protest about 100 young people went to bar terraces on the Borne and at the Plaza de las Tortugas in Palma and surrounded tourists and jeered at them for about half an hour. The police shielded the tourists.
"The Balearic government condemns and rejects the minority that insulted tourists," government spokesperson Toni Costa said.
He insisted that it was a minority, but reiterated that it was unacceptable for some participants to insult ‘tourists or residents’ who were sat peacefully on a terrace ‘having a drink, lunch or dinner’. ‘This type of behaviour by a minority is not acceptable,’ Costa reiterated.
Earlier on Sunday thousands of people marched through the streets of Palma this afternoon calling for an end to mass tourism and more cheaper housing in the latest protest against the holiday industry. Organisers got their target figure of 2,000 people who were filmed and recorded by a small army of representatives of the British and German media.
Similar protests were taking place across Europe today and the one in Palma was certainly vocal. The protesters were a mixture of people of all ages from across the island. There were even some foreign residents.
Their message was clear. Fewer tourists, more cheap housing, a ban on private jets and cruise ships. But there were also Palestinian flag and a group calling for independence for Mallorca. On the whole their placards were simple but the message was strong. Many were in English.
It must be said that it was a good humoured start to the march a typical Mallorcan folk group leading the way. The protest had been called by various associations who have united in their campaign against mass tourism.
So far the travel industry has said that the protests have not hit holiday bookings but there are signs that this summer season will not be as good as many had hoped. Alcudia has already raised the alarm saying that they had fewer hotel bookings and restaurant and bar takings were down by 20 percent.
"Your holidays, my misery," protesters chanted in the streets of Barcelona while holding up banners emblazoned with slogans such as "mass tourism kills the city" and "their greed brings us ruin".
Under the umbrella of the SET alliance - Sud d'Europa contra la Turistització, or Catalan for "Southern Europe against Overtourism" - protesters joined forces with groups in Portugal and Italy, arguing that uncontrolled tourism was sending housing prices soaring and forcing people out of their neighbourhoods. Barcelona, a city of 1.6 million, drew 26 million tourists last year.
Authorities in the north eastern Spanish city said around 600 people joined the demonstration there, some firing water pistols or setting off coloured smoke and putting stickers saying 'Neighbourhood self-defence, tourist go home' on shop windows and hotels.
Outside one hotel, an agitated worker confronted the protesters saying he was "only working" and was not the venue's owner.
There were similar demonstrations in other parts of Spain including Ibiza, Malaga, San Sebastian and Granada.
Protests in Italy took place in cities including Genoa, Naples, Palermo, Milan and Venice, where locals oppose the construction of two hotels that will add around 1,500 new beds to the city, the organisers told Reuters.
In Barcelona, the city government said last year it would bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 to make the city more liveable for residents.
"I'm very tired of being a nuisance in my own city. The solution is to propose a radical decrease in the number of tourists in Barcelona and bet on another economic model that brings prosperity to the city," Eva Vilaseca, 38, told Reuters at Sunday's demonstration in Barcelona, dismissing the common counterargument that tourism brings jobs and prosperity.
