Thousands of people, 25,000 according to the National Police, have marched through the centre of Palma this Sunday in one of the largest mobilisations in recent years in the Balearic Islands to demand a change in the tourism and economic model.
About 25,000 people, according to data from the National Police, have overflowed the centre of Palma this Sunday in one of the largest social protests in recent years in the Balearics. Organised by the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida, the demonstration brought together families, young people, workers, retirees, environmentalists, trade unions, and neighbourhood associations to demand a profound change in the economic, territorial, and tourism model of the archipelago.
The march, supported by 134 entities — including GOB, SOS Residents, Sindicat de Llogateres, CCOO, UGT, STEI, CGT, CNT, Arran, Alerta Solidària, and dozens of social, cultural, and neighbourhood associations — has traversed the main streets of Palma with a clear message: the growth model of recent decades has led Mallorca to a critical situation regarding housing, territory, mobility, natural resources, and quality of life.
Throughout the mobilisation, numerous banners were displayed with slogans such as “No tenim por”, “Qui estima Mallorca no la ven” or “Mallorca no està en venda”, while thousands of demonstrators denounced that living in the islands has become an obstacle course for a growing part of the population.
The protest comes at one of the most socially tense moments the archipelago has experienced, compounded by the recent arrest, two weeks ago, of two activists investigated for attacks on five real estate agencies in Santa Maria del Camí, whom the Civil Guard has attributed to a criminal group. This climate has placed the growing discontent over access to housing, touristification, and the economic model of the Balearics at the centre of the debate.
Housing, the epicentre of the conflict
Access to housing has been the main focus of the mobilisation. The organisers argue that the housing crisis is no longer solely due to an imbalance between supply and demand, but to the transformation of housing into a financial asset subject to international speculation. Despite the fact that the government of Marga Prohens (PP) claims that for the first time it is prioritising residents' access to housing through the construction of protected housing and the acceleration of new urban developments, the entities criticise that these measures do not address the structural causes of the problem. They remind that the Balearics continues to record some of the highest prices in Spain for both buying and renting, and that access to housing remains unattainable for a growing part of the population.
The organising organisations maintain that the regional government's policy continues to focus on increasing supply without intervening on the demand, which they believe is fueling the price escalation. Among other measures, they criticise that the omnibus law approved by PP and Vox allows legal entities to acquire freely priced housing without restrictions, which they consider an affront to residents.
For the residents of Palma and the rest of the island, the protest serves as a wake-up call about the need to rethink the tourism model. The demonstration was peaceful and took place without incidents, according to police sources. The organisers have announced that they will maintain pressure until concrete measures are adopted to curb over-tourism and guarantee the right to decent housing.
The next protest is scheduled for a month from now, with new actions in different parts of Mallorca, as announced by the spokespeople of Menys Turisme, Més Vida.
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