Around a hundred people gathered this Wednesday outside the Courts of Via Alemanya to support the two women detained for alleged damage to five real estate agencies in Santa Maria del Camí.
The two women, detained by the Civil Guard of Pont d'Inca, are accused of damage and an attack on historical heritage following the vandalism of five real estate agencies on May 31. The gathering, called by the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida, brought together supporters from various social and political groups, as well as senior leaders of Més per Mallorca.
Support for the detainees and criticism of 'criminalisation'
The spokesperson for Menys Turisme, Més Vida, Jaume Pujol, stated that the protest aims to "support the detained individuals" and denounce an "excessive and misplaced repression." According to Pujol, the detention is part of a criminalisation campaign driven by "parties and media" against the group following the publication of the Manual d'acció contra la turistificació. "Without this criminalisation, today’s events would not have occurred," he asserted.
"They are activists, not terrorists," chanted the protesters, who carried banners against touristification and demanded the release of the detainees.
Political reactions
The MP for Més per Mallorca in Congress, Vicenç Vidal, expressed his opposition to the detentions. On his social media, he stated that he conveyed his discontent to the Government delegate in the Balearics: "Detaining activists against touristification is a disgrace and an attack on the most basic civil rights. An unjustifiable criminalisation." Vidal has called for clarification on which unit of the Civil Guard is carrying out these actions and under what direction.
The detentions occur in a context of rising tension in Mallorca due to the impact of mass tourism. Menys Turisme, Més Vida has called for an anti-massification demonstration on July 26 in Palma. In the weeks leading up to this, the group disseminated a Manual d'acció contra la turistificació advocating for "non-violent direct action" against businesses linked to tourism, such as tourist rental properties and real estate agencies.
Investigation into damage at real estate agencies
The Civil Guard is investigating the events that occurred in the early hours of May 31, when five real estate agencies in Santa Maria del Camí were found with graffiti and broken windows. The agents identified the two alleged perpetrators thanks to security cameras and detained them this Wednesday. The women, whose identities have not been disclosed, will be brought before a judge in the coming hours.
For its part, the Santa Maria del Camí Town Hall condemned the events and expressed confidence in the justice system. "We cannot tolerate vandalic acts that attack private property and historical heritage," declared the mayor, Nicolau Canyelles. "Peaceful protest is legitimate, but material damage is not the way forward."
Wednesday's gathering took place without incidents, although police maintained a security presence in the area. The protesters chanted slogans such as "Not a step back" and "Against repression, more action," while some carried signs with the slogan "Tourism yes, but not like this".
This new episode in the anti-tourism struggle in Mallorca raises questions about the limits of protest and judicial response. While social groups denounce a "criminalisation" of their work, authorities insist that vandalic acts will not go unpunished. The next event will be on July 26, when Palma will host the demonstration called by Menys Turisme, Més Vida.
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