Protesters against over-tourism in Majorca are calling for action to occupy beaches this weekend ahead of a planned mass demonstration on June 16.
The mobilisation call follows a 10,000-strong demonstration in Palma last Saturday and threats from activists to blockade the island’s airport during the summer peak.
Protest group Mallorca Platja Tour took to social media, posting on X, formerly Twitter: “We urge residents to fill the beaches of Mallorca as a demonstration against overcrowding.”
The situation has been inflamed after a beach brawl involving dozens of British tourists on a beach in Calvia.
Eight men on a stag party were reportedly arrested after a waiter complained about the group throwing cans of beer and rubbish into the sea.
The incident came as new measures suggested by mayor Jaime Martinez on Thursday to try to tackle the impact of mass tourism were voted down by Palma’s city council.
They included limiting the number of cruise ships allowed to dock in Palma, banning the biggest vessels, imposing new taxes on passengers when they disembark, restricting the number of rental cars that can enter the city at a time, and limiting or banning party boats and booze cruises.
The Majorca Daily Bulletin reported Martínez as saying: “We will continue fighting for the interests of citizens and for coexistence between residents and tourists.
“This is a global problem for Spain and we will decide how to solve this problem.”
The protests follow similar demonstrations in the Canary Islands in April.