Cans of drinks are among the items for illegal sale in Playa de Palma. There are no licences for the sale of drinks on the streets and on the beaches, the trade being especially lucrative at night.
This is because of the ban on shops selling alcohol between 9.30pm and 8am in a specific area of Playa de Palma - a provision of the tourism of excesses decree (now renamed responsible tourism). This ban is meant to tackle street drinking, which is itself banned.
Where illicit trade is to be had, so there are rivals seeking to control it. The rivalry spilt over one night this week when groups of Bulgarians and Indians clashed.
Around 10.40pm, a Palma Police patrol in Arenal intervened in a dispute. There were conflicting accounts of an incident which had left some Indian men with slight injuries. The officers informed those involved that the matter would be reported, which seemed to be the end of the matter.
However, as the officers were leaving the scene, they heard shouts on C. Pare Bartomeu Salvà (commonly referred to as 'Schinkenstrasse'). Five Bulgarians were violently assaulting two Indians, who were covered in blood. The attackers attempted to flee but were eventually arrested. They were taken to the police station, while the Indian men required treatment from paramedics.