Friday, May 31, 2024 Balearic Islands’ Tourism Minister Jaume Bauzà calls for peaceful anti-tourism protests, warning that blocking airports is a crime amid threats to disrupt travel hubs. During a parliamentary session, Jaume Bauzà, the Minister of Tourism for the Balearic Islands, emphasized the need for peaceful protests and cautioned that obstructing an airport is a criminal offense. This warning came in response to threats aimed at disrupting the travel hub’s operations.
Addressing the citizens’ assembly on tourist overcrowding, Bauzà affirmed the Government’s respect for all opinions, stating they are considered valid “as long as they are expressed civilly.” He added, “Protests must be peaceful and not jeopardize public safety.” The tourism minister underscored that “disrupting Son San Joan [Palma de Mallorca Airport] is unacceptable” and highlighted that “anti-system actions aimed at addressing specific issues threaten everyone’s daily lives.
” On May 25, over 15,000 protesters gathered in Palma’s Weyler Square in Majorca, following a similar march in Ibiza the day before. Locals expressed their frustration over the negative impacts of mass tourism. This anti-tourism movement has also sparked demonstrations in Tenerife, Lanzarote, and other parts of the Canaries.
With more than 2.3 million British tourists visiting Majorca annually, an airport blockade could lead to significant delays and potentially cause the airport to collapse under .
