ANTI-tourism zealots have mocked British holidaymakers with a cruel World Cup jibe as around 2,000 protesters flooded the streets of a Majorcan town.
A fortnight after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina, campaigners once again paraded a banner declaring: “The Only Thing Coming Home Is You.”
Around 2000 protestors flooded the streets Credit: Instagram/menysturisme
Protesters carried a huge banner reading ‘Soller al limit’ – Soller has reached its limit Credit: Instagram/menysturisme
The brutal swipe at the Three Lions was carried through the picture-postcard streets of Soller as furious locals raged against what they claim is the island’s crippling tourism boom.
The march kicked off at 10am today in the stunning town nestled in Majorca’s Serra de Tramuntana mountains.
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Protesters carried a huge banner reading “Soller al limit” – Soller has reached its limit – as they blasted the impact of mass tourism.
One demonstrator held a poster declaring: “No more second homes while locals can’t afford one.”
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Another carried a stark message mixing English and Catalan: “Welcome to Majorca. And where do we live?”
The same World Cup banner that appeared during a fiery anti-tourist march in Palma also made a provocative return.
That demonstration in the island capital ended in ugly clashes between protesters and riot police, with dramatic footage showing baton-wielding officers confronting demonstrators.
Police reportedly fired rubber bullets as tensions boiled over, with seven people injured, two seriously, and ambulances rushing to the scene.
The march kicked off at 10am today in the stunning town nestled in Majorca’s Serra de Tramuntana mountains Credit: Instagram/menysturisme
Residents of the town of Soller in the island of Mallorca stage a protest against mass tourism in the Balearic Islands, and the impact it has on cost of living for locals Credit: Reuters
More than 25,000 people were said to have flooded Palma for the protest, with campaigners accusing mass tourism of destroying locals’ quality of life.
Demonstrators screamed slogans including “tourists go home”, “tourism = destruction”, “save Majorca” and “less tourism, more life.”
One chilling banner showed a gun alongside the words: “Forced to live in struggle.”
The latest protest was fronted by platform Menys Turisme Mes Vida – Less Tourism, More Life – and also involved Moviment Jove de Soller, or Soller Youth Movement.
Organisers insisted before today’s march that it was “not against tourists or visitors”, but against an “unsustainable economic model.”
Campaigners claim the island is being strangled by soaring property prices, holiday rentals, packed public transport and parking chaos.
They also blame real estate speculation and the explosion in holiday lets for making affordable homes increasingly difficult for locals to secure.
The protest even caused a dramatic disruption to Soller’s bustling Saturday market.
A previous demonstration in the island capital ended in ugly clashes between protesters and riot police
More than 25,000 anti-tourism protestors flooded the streets of Palma, Majorca
Businesses in the centre were ordered to remove terraces and stalls normally placed outside between 10am and 2pm.
The restrictions were imposed following instructions from central government representatives in the area to protect public safety along the protest route.
The crackdown came on what is traditionally the busiest day of the week, when the Saturday market draws huge numbers of locals and visitors.
In the lead-up to today’s demonstration, the front of an estate agent in the town was also graffitied.
The furious scenes come amid a third summer of large-scale anti-tourism protests across the island.
Previous demonstrations have seen holidaymakers sprayed with water pistols, while last year a breakaway group of anti-tourist protesters reportedly confronted holidaymakers drinking at a popular Palma bar.
Earlier this month, around 10,000 campaigners formed a human chain to block access to the Playa Es Trenc beauty spot.
Activists insist locals are being priced out of their own communities by soaring demand from holidaymakers, second-home owners and expats.
A spokesman for the campaigners said: “Majorca is on the edge, and once again, everything points to increases in the number of visitors. No real change will come without sustained social mobilisation.”
He added: “That is why we are back on the streets. To defend the right to housing, territory, public services, language, culture, working conditions, and the future of Majorca.”
Police are also probing Less Tourism, More Life over online advice encouraging people to block Airbnb key boxes and vandalise firms linked to the tourism industry.
Shocking footage from earlier this year showed the extraordinary tactics being used by anti-tourist campaigners in the Canary Islands.
The peaceful protest turned tense as demonstrators faced off with riot police
A demonstrator carries a placard reading “save Majorca”
Videos showed fake police tape being used to cordon off popular beauty spots, including beach access paths, in a bid to fool tourists into believing they were closed.
Other footage appeared to show holiday-home key boxes being sabotaged with extra-strong glue.
The boxes are typically fixed to the walls of rental properties and contain keys which can be accessed using a PIN code provided by the owner.
Another clip showed a path to a popular volcano being sealed off with red and white tape.
A fake “no entry” sign was also put up in an apparent bid to keep tourists away.
The explosive tactics underline the increasingly bitter backlash against mass tourism across Spain’s holiday islands.
