Appeal against racism in Palma: "It's not an individual problem, it's structural"

PalmPalma was the scene this weekend of another public denunciation of racism. Coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Anti-Racist Assembly of Mallorca focused on a clear idea: the problem is not just individual attitudes, but a system that, according to the group, continues to generate persistent inequalities. During the event, a series of speeches and testimonies all pointed in the same direction: difficulties accessing employment, administrative barriers, and situations of vulnerability that particularly affect migrants. The criticism also extended to recent institutional decisions, such as the ban on the full-face veil in public buildings of the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca), which participants consider a measure that excludes rather than integrates. Another key point was the treatment of people arriving by sea to the Balearic Islands. The assembly questioned certain identification practices and reception conditions, which, in their opinion, demonstrate shortcomings in guaranteeing basic rights. The housing situation was also discussed, especially after the eviction from the former Palma prison, which has left dozens of people, many of them migrants, in a precarious situation. For the group, this case exemplifies how inequality is perpetuated beyond isolated incidents. The event concluded with a call for collective organizing and a shift from denunciation to action, with concrete demands such as the regularization of migrants and a review of policies that, they argue, contribute to maintaining these inequalities.