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Moment anti-tourism protesters boo & chanting 'go home' at tourist dining out

27 May 2024 , 11:44
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The protest group was forced to apologise for the abuse directed at holidaymakers dining in the Palma Square
The protest group was forced to apologise for the abuse directed at holidaymakers dining in the Palma Square

FOOTAGE showed the moment anti-tourism protesters in Majorca descended on holidaymakers as they dined out - booing and chanting "tourists go home".

The 10,000-strong hoard of demonstrators took to the streets to vent their anger over tourist saturation as they chanted "Let's save Majorca. Foreigners out".

Thousands of anti-tourism protesters jeered and booed at holidaymakers dining out in Palma eiqrkikiqrprw
Thousands of anti-tourism protesters jeered and booed at holidaymakers dining out in PalmaCredit: Solarpix
The demonstrators took to the streets to vent their anger over tourist saturation across Majorca
The demonstrators took to the streets to vent their anger over tourist saturation across MajorcaCredit: Solarpix
It's thought around 10,000 attended the march with organisers saying "this is just the start"
It's thought around 10,000 attended the march with organisers saying "this is just the start"Credit: Solarpix

The march through Palma's capital reached a climax when protesters appeared to boo and jeer alongside tourists enjoying their evening meal in Weyler Square.

They were heard shouting "tourists go home" as they passed through on the 20-minute route from the park where the protest began to the iconic street Paseo del Borne.

The banners campaigners carried included one with the offensive message: "Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix" which in Catalan Spanish means "Let’s save Majorca, foreigners out".

I'm a flight attendant who only carries hand luggage on holiday - here's howI'm a flight attendant who only carries hand luggage on holiday - here's how

It played on the colloquial Spanish expression Guiri which is used to portray northern European tourists like the British holidaymakers partying in Magaluf, usually in a mildly offensive way.

A Brit caught in the chaos described how she fled before things "turned nasty" as protesters shouted at and mocked UK diners as they passed.

Polly Taylor told the Mail: "It was like a storm was coming...then the noise from the protesters just got louder and louder and we were swamped with them".

Polly said her and her mates were caught in a "very intimidating" sea of people and revealed the experience had put her off visiting the island again.

The Palma protest was organised by Banc del Temps, a group which hails from the inland Majorcan town of Sencelles and has claimed 25,000 people joined in the demo although government officials have put the figure at around 10,000.

But the organisers were later forced to apologise for the outburst directed at holidaymakers - but hit back, saying "this is just the start of things".

Spokesman Javier Barbero said of the targeting of some visitors: "We didn’t want to have a go at tourists and it shouldn’t have happened.

"If measures aren’t taken we will continue taking to the streets until we see action."

Another campaign group that took part in Saturday's demo, held under the slogan "Majorca is not up for sale", described the organisers afterwards as "heroes".

The manifesto Banc del Temps made public when protestors had finished marching through Palma included the demand only people who had been living in the Balearic Islands for five years could buy property as well as a moratorium on holiday rentals.

I'm a pilot - the passenger habit that drives me mad and I bet you're guiltyI'm a pilot - the passenger habit that drives me mad and I bet you're guilty

One of its speakers said: "This island should be a place where our children can grow up with safety and dignity, with controlled tourism that doesn’t condition our lives."

PALMA MARCH

The protest, the largest of its kind since last month’s Canary Islands’ demos against mass tourism, was the second in 24 hours in the Balearic Islands.

On Friday night around 1,000 protestors took part in a demo in Ibiza to vent their anger over the effects of mass tourism.

Campaigners held up banners saying "We don’t want an island of cement" and "Tourism, yes but not like this" as they massed outside Ibiza Council’s HQ.

The organisers of the demo, a group called Prou Eivissa, met with Ibiza’s president Vicent Mari before taking to the streets.

British tourists across the other side of the island in San Antonio however dismissed a street drinking ban which could see them hit with fines of up to £1,300 if caught.

The protestors' demands included a limit on the number of vehicles that can enter the island in summer and a ban on using taxpayers’ cash to promote Ibiza as a tourist destination.

The protesters held up banners with the term "Guiri" written on them - a mildly offensive term for Europeans who visit the park resort of Magaluf
The protesters held up banners with the term "Guiri" written on them - a mildly offensive term for Europeans who visit the park resort of MagalufCredit: Solarpix
There were chaotic scenes as the marchers headed through Palma's Weyler Square
There were chaotic scenes as the marchers headed through Palma's Weyler SquareCredit: Solarpix
The protest group were later forced to apologise for the abuse outburst at tourist
The protest group were later forced to apologise for the abuse outburst at touristCredit: Solarpix

It's feared that protesters could flood airports in a bid to be taken more seriously - a move that would spark travel chaos for Brits.

Anti-tourist graffiti has appeared across Spain, Tenerife and Greece in recent months with protests in the Canary Islands, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens and Venice.

In the Menora Brit hotspot of Binibeca, locals have resorted to restricting tourist access to streets after selfie-loving tourists caused havoc.

Images showed chains and ropes used to book out holidaymakers using private doorways and alleyways to take snaps in the area dubbed "Spain's Mykonos".

Some foreign holidaymakers have shown their support for the issues raised by campaigners but others have accused them of biting the hand that feeds them.

Locals say there are too many cars on the roads, traffic congestion, overcrowded beaches, blocked access roads, ruined beauty spots and just too many holidaymakers flocking to the island which expects record figures this summer.

Meanwhile, another holiday hotspot sparked fury over its anti-tourism plans, which include hunting "illegal" visitors and a "fascist" list of foreigners.

Residents and businesses in Girona, Spain, argue they have reached their limit with "overtourism" and called for urgent measures as "it is already too late".

Locals in the Catalan town proposed increasing the number of patrols to find illegal tourist apartments and creating a list of all foreign residents living in Girona.

The controversial plans have left many expats fuming, with some slamming the proposals as "fascist".

One user said: “Far-right nationalism in Girona. Looks like populism is taking a hold even in traditionally left-leaning liberal areas."

People walk past graffiti against tourism reading 'Tourist go home'
People walk past graffiti against tourism reading 'Tourist go home'Credit: Rex
Hundreds of protesters have flooded the streets of Ibiza in yet another anti-tourism demonstration across Spanish territories
Hundreds of protesters have flooded the streets of Ibiza in yet another anti-tourism demonstration across Spanish territoriesCredit: Solarpix
The crowds gathered at Ibiza town centre as more protests are set to take place
The crowds gathered at Ibiza town centre as more protests are set to take place

Rebecca Husselbee

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