Priest Jaume Mercant, parish priest of Son Servera, Sant Llorenç and Son Carrió, has shown his support for the protest on Sunday against mass tourism, which gathered 75,000 people in Palma. Mercant describes the police actions at the end of the march as "unjustified".
The parish priest of Son Servera, Sant Llorenç and Son Carrió, Jaume Mercant, known for his conservative stances within the Church, has expressed his support for the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida, which gathered around 75,000 people in Palma last Sunday to protest against tourist overcrowding on the island.
Mercant rejected the idea that the mobilization was "against tourists", as some media have reported, according to him. "The aim was to demand policies that curb a tourism model that has deteriorated the quality of life for residents and caused significant environmental impact," the priest defended.
The parish priest lamented that Mallorca has ceased to be "the island of calm" and has become a destination marked "by mass tourism, which has destroyed our land." As an example, he cited the "shows that occur in Magaluf every summer." He also denounced that touristification has contributed "to the rising cost of housing, the increase in the cost of living, and greater job insecurity," making it difficult for many families to access a home.
Mercant also criticized the political management of tourism, pointing out that "both right-wing and left-wing governments are conditioned by the interests of the hotel sector." In the same vein, he condemned the police actions at the end of the demonstration, which he described as "unjustified", as the protest was "peaceful".
The priest expressed pessimism about the possibility of rationalizing tourism, although he acknowledged that "the pressure from citizens during yesterday's protest shows a light at the end of the tunnel."
The demonstration, called by Menys Turisme, Més Vida, marched through the centre of Palma under the slogan "Menys turisme, més vida", and ended in Plaza de Cort, where attendees called for urgent measures to curb tourist growth. According to the organization, the number of attendees doubled initial forecasts, highlighting social discontent with a model that, they claim, expels residents and degrades the environment.
Residents of Palma consulted by this newspaper reported that the day went by without incidents until, as the march dissolved, there were some clashes between a group of protesters and Local Police officers. Police sources have not officially confirmed the balance of the clashes, although witnesses claim that there were several arrests and minor injuries.
Jaume Mercant, 68, is a well-known figure in the Diocese of Mallorca for his conservative opinions, but also for his defence of social causes. In the past, he had already spoken out against tourist overcrowding and the loss of identity of the island's towns. His support for the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida adds a new front of debate within the Mallorcan Church, where opinions on tourism are not unanimous.
The protest on Sunday adds to other recent mobilizations in the Balearics against tourist saturation, which have been gaining strength in recent years. The organizing platform has already announced that it will maintain pressure to achieve a moratorium on the construction of new hotels and the regulation of tourist apartments.
For the island's residents, the demonstration serves as a wake-up call to the administrations. "We cannot continue like this. Housing prices are impossible and the beaches are overcrowded," commented one attendee. "That a parish priest takes such a stance shows that the problem is everyone's," added another.
The Diocese of Mallorca has not officially commented on Mercant's statements, although ecclesiastical sources indicate that the priest speaks in a personal capacity. The next meeting of the platform will be an open assembly next Saturday in the Palma neighbourhood of Son Gotleu to define upcoming actions.
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