Locals block view for tourists on beach where they’re certainly not welcome
This is the moment locals on the Spanish island of Mallorca were forced to ‘occupy’ an idyllic beach to safeguard it from ‘bad tourists’.
Footage showed as many as 300 people wielding banners that read ‘SOS Residents’ and handing out leaflets in English and German to target the majority of holidaymakers.
Organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour social media group, this is the latest protest against the growing flow of visitors that swarm southern European beauty spots each summer, with similar demonstrations taking place in Barcelona, Malaga and Athens.
A movement against ‘overtourism’ has been ongoing in Barcelona since 2018, and just this March riot police and protesters – chanting ‘Barcelona is not for sale’ -clashed.
One man was handcuffed by after punching an officer who also appeared to have earlier struck him and a woman with a baton.
Protesters also took to the streets of the Greek capital in May, spraying graffiti against holidaymakers.
Islanders kept their promise to ‘reclaim’ the Calo des Moro beach in the southeast from foreign holidaymakers, with one overheard shouting at them to ‘go, go, go!’
The scenic area has become a tourist hotspot in recent years after social media posts by influencers made it ‘Instagram famous’.
Every inch of the 98-foot wide stretch of sand was taken up with beach towels over the weekend.
The influx of sunseekers brought protesters out in droves, with organisers declaring: ‘For one day, Calo des Moro will belong to the Mallorcans.’
Holidaymakers have faced abuse across Palma, the capital city of the Balearic Islands, as more locals join the protest movement.
Marchers were heard chanting ‘Tourists go home’ as they passed through the central square.
Some included the message, ‘Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix’ which means ‘Let’s save Mallorca, foreigners out’, translated from Catalan Spanish.
It plays on the colloquial expression ‘Guiri’ – used to slander northern European tourists like the British partying in Magaluf.
Mayor Maria Pons said before the protest: ‘We understand the demonstration and we won’t do anything to stop it, but Calo des Moro needs a rest.
‘The only thing we want is that locals can live in peace every day of the year.
‘Police have verified that when Calo des Moro is mentioned in the news, the influx of visitors increases.
‘Neighbours living nearby suffer the pressure of thousands of people who pass through every day.’
Who are the 'bad tourists' in Spain?
Multiple incidents involving tourists have been recorded across Spain this year, even though it is just the start of summer.
One of the most recent ones was in Mallorca where a group of British tourists on a stag do started a melee at a beach restaurant.
For years, anger has been growing over disrespectful tourists, primarily from the UK and Germany.
Organisers also pointed the finger at ‘colonising tourism’ and appeared to highlight problems like Airbnb-style holiday rentals which have been linked to a lack of affordable housing.
They said: ‘For years Menorca has been increasing excess tourism and the congestion is getting worse.
‘Colonising tourism has been gaining ground, first on the coast, then in the countryside, then towns and now also in our homes.’
Speaking at a council meeting she also hit out at the social media stars who have transformed the cove, saying: ‘We have seen how some visitors change their swimwear three or four times to take different selfies and claim on their online profiles they’ve been to Calo des Moro many times.
‘If we carry on the way we are there won’t be a cove anymore because of the erosion that’s been caused.
‘As a tourist municipality the town hall leaders are conscious its wealth comes from visitors.
‘But what Calo des Moro needs is that people including the media forget about it for the season.
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