Tourists warned of Majorca demos
ONE of the leaders of the tourist protest in Majorca was yesterday tracked down by The Star — and vowed the chaotic demos will go on throughout the summer.
Visitors to the Spanish island were shocked when nearly 25,000 locals took to the streets of the capital Palma with banners which read ‘Tourists Go Home’.
And the alert by Javir Barbero (inset) will spell alarm for tens of thousands of Irish who have booked holidays in Spanish hotspots for when schools finish up.
The action is being plotted despite visitors contributing to the local economy by spending millions of euro in restaurants, bars and hotels.
Javier, a 51-year-old carer, who represents the Banc del Temps campaign, explained he has been amazed about the impact his video had – and that it has struck a nerve with locals fed up of mass tourism.
Action
He warned the protests will not stop until action is taken in Majorca and other Balearic islands in order to help locals afford to live there.
He told The Star: “We’re not going anywhere until we get what we want and if that means the economy will take a hit in the short term, I think it’s a price worth paying for the long-term future of the people here. “Protests will continue until our demands are met.”
The protest movement has captured the popular imagination in Majorca since the first protest on May 25 and another one is planned for June 16 in the capital Palma. One expat Richie Prior (57) runs the Pirates Adventure in Magaluf. He says he has sympathy with the protests but pointed out that the tourist season is only from June to September.
“If it was year-round like Barcelona or Venice for example, who have the same kind of issues, I would have more sympathy with their cause,” said Prior.