Civil society and parties denounce "disproportionate" action in the arrests of Santa Maria activists

PalmaThe platform Less Tourism, More Life has denounced that the arrests of the two young women investigated for the graffiti against various real estate agencies in Santa Maria respond to a strategy of "repression" and "criminalization of protest" against the movement that questions Mallorca's tourism model.

The platform's spokesperson, Pere Joan Femenia, considers that behind the police action there are "political and economic interests" aimed at curbing mobilizations against touristification. According to him, the actions promoted by the collective in recent years, and especially this 2026, "have inconvenienced political and economic sectors", and he maintains that the movement has been attempted to be criminalized since 2024.

Femenia has also rejected the Civil Guard's thesis linking the investigated graffiti with the platform's direct action manual. "It is impossible for a pattern and a link to exist between acts prior to the publication of the manual and the publication itself. What is being sought is to create false links to criminalize and repress without justification," he assured.

The spokesperson also stated that, in his opinion, it is not the first time that attempts have been made to link mobilizations against the tourism model with criminal conduct. As an example, he recalled the demonstration against tourist overcrowding in 2025 and the protest held this July in Es Trenc, cases in which he considers that attention was diverted towards graffiti that, he argues, were not related to the mobilizations. "Efforts, money, and investigation teams are being focused on promoting this criminalization," he affirmed.

Femenia also vindicated social protest as a tool for transformation and stated that many initially questioned demands end up being accepted over time. In this regard, he recalled the first complaints against tourist rentals or the occupation of sa Dragonera. "Perhaps in the future we will understand that protest is necessary in the face of incompetent political management to legislate on social problems," he concluded.

The platform's statements are added to those of various social entities that have also questioned the proportionality of the detentions and have warned of the risk of criminalizing social protest.

The GOB has argued that the detentions cannot be separated from the social, territorial, and environmental context that Mallorca is experiencing. The entity considers that the unrest generated by tourist overcrowding, the housing access crisis, urban pressure, and land degradation explains the increase in mobilizations against the current economic model.

In this regard, the GOB states that there is an "evident disproportion" between the attention these events receive and the institutional response to continuous aggressions against the territory, the landscape, or the right to housing. The entity maintains that the response to citizen discontent "should not be fear, intimidation, or repression, but rather more public debate, more listening, and more capacity to respond to the real problems that society is experiencing".

Furthermore, it rejects that the defense of the territory, the right to housing, or criticism of the tourism model should be subject to "stigmatization or permanent suspicion" and considers that turning this conflict into a matter of public order "will not resolve any of the problems that have caused it to emerge". Finally, the GOB encourages citizens to participate in the "Mallorca al Límit" demonstration, called for July 26.

For its part, APAEMA has expressed its "deep concern" about what it considers a disproportionate action. The entity avoids commenting on the investigated facts, but considers it "hardly justifiable" that alleged graffiti would lead to a police operation of these characteristics, with the two activists transferred handcuffed and publicly exposed.

According to the association, this action may generate a deterrent effect on people participating in social movements and sends a message that goes beyond the facts investigated. It also expresses its concern about the dissemination of images of the two young women, perfectly identifiable, and recalls that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental right that must be preserved in any procedure.

The president of APAEMA, Miquel Coll, stated that "we find it shameful that the population is being intimidated so as not to protest against the tourism model. A democratic society must know how to listen to critical voices and face conflicts through dialogue, not through fear".

The controversy has also reached the Congress of Deputies. The deputy for MÉS per Mallorca, Vicenç Vidal, has registered a request for the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, to appear to explain the arrests.

Vidal considers the facts to be "of extraordinary gravity" and denounces any violation of fundamental rights or attempt to criminalize a social movement that defends the right to housing and territory. "The right to protest is a basic pillar of any democracy," he stated.

Podem has also registered a series of questions in Congress addressed to the Ministry of the Interior demanding explanations about the Civil Guard's actions. The party questions the proportionality of the police operation, requests to know what criteria justified the arrests, the use of handcuffs, and the intervention of mobile phones, and asks if there are specific investigations targeting individuals or groups linked to the movement against touristification.

Likewise, Podem expresses its concern about statements attributed to police sources stating that "those who commit crimes against tourist interests in Mallorca will be arrested". The party considers that the defense of the right to housing and the denunciation of real estate speculation are part of the legitimate exercise of the rights of participation and protest, and calls for any police action to scrupulously respect fundamental rights.