Madò Farta: "One thing is to identify me and another is to make me feel watched and pressured"

PalmaMadò Farta denounces that her identification by the Santanyí Local Police was an episode of intimidation and asserts that it will not silence her. In this interview, she speaks about the controversy, the cancellations of events, and her fight against tourist massification: "Madò Farta is not the problem. The problem is what she denounces."

How did you experience the moment when the Santanyí Local Police identified you? What exactly happened?

— I had been walking around the fair for half an hour, as I always do, with my signs and walking calmly. I didn't do anything special, nor did I provoke anyone. The fair was packed, and at one point, I found myself face to face with the Tourism Councilor, practically right next to me. He looked at me and blurted out: "What a way to waste time, don't you think?" I didn't answer him; I continued on my way.

— Meanwhile, the mayor made comments, laughed, and kept repeating that I was a man, as if she had discovered fire, and that if they hadn't realized it yet, that I was a man! I also heard comments from the rest of the team. But I didn't play along. I continued doing my own thing, because I had gone to walk through the fair, not to put on a show for them.

— As I was leaving, the Xeremiers from Santanyí asked to take a photo with me. And just at that moment, a policeman approached and told me that I had to identify myself. I made a gesture at him, as if asking him why, and he replied: "That's what I was told...".

— And the curious detail is that, at that very moment, two women in niqabs passed by and no one stopped them. As for me, however, they came to ask for my ID. I did not want to take off my mask right there, for obvious reasons, and the police officer invited me to go to the car to do so. I gave him my ID and I took off my mask, without any problem.

— Then he told me that there were posters of mine stuck to a protected facade. I haven't stuck anything to any facade! And that's where the story ended, because nothing else happened with me. Mind you, people started reproaching the police for what they were doing, why they were stopping me if I wasn't doing anything, and how it is that, when they are really needed, they are not where they should be.

— At that moment I thought: "Ugh, again! What a nightmare!" Because, honestly, there comes a time when you are tired of these situations. But it was later, already inside the car, when I started to put the pieces together. And then my blood really started to boil. Because it is one thing for an absurd situation to happen to you and another is that, when you start to see how the pieces fit together, you ask yourself if all that was as casual as it seemed. And I, as for coincidences, I have already seen quite a few!

You deny having put up the posters. Did the agents explain to you why they were identifying you? Did they show you any evidence?

— Absolutely! I have not put up any posters anywhere. It is as if they wanted to blame the blacksmith for having made the knives. They did not show me any proof, nor do I even know if they had to do it at that moment. I only know that I was doing nothing more than walking through the fair, calmly, like any other person. And, while I was walking, there were also people whose faces were completely covered and whom no one stopped. The one they stopped was me. And that is what makes me think. And let everyone draw whatever conclusions they want.

Do you think this episode can change the way people perceive Madò Farta and her demands?

— I don't know about that, people will say. I believe that people see that all I do is awaken consciences and stop normalizing shameful situations that too many times we have ended up accepting as if they were normal. We are very tired of seeing that, depending on the case, it seems that many foreigners are untouchable and can do whatever they want without anyone asking them for explanations, while others are indeed stopped. Residents see it and it is normal for this unrest to be generated. Because, in the end, they piss on us and still make us believe it is raining! How many police officers will you see in El Arenal calling out all those drunks who dirty and degrade our streets? How many politicians will you see inside a police car after having stolen millions? And how many multimillionaires who destroy the mountain to build themselves a villa will you see on the front page of a newspaper? This is my rage, and they will never make me be silent!

Why is it important to maintain anonymity? What does the mask allow one to do that one could not do without it?

— Once the character is created, the mask is already part of Madò Farta. Could I do the same without a mask? Yes, but it probably wouldn't generate the same reaction or have the same strength. The mask is part of her identity, of the mystery and the provocation. Madò Farta is not just who is under the mask, it is everything that it represents!

Are you concerned about what the authorities might do with your personal data after a police identification?

— Of course it worries me! In fact, they have already let me know that they know who we are. Doesn't it seem to you that this is already a form of intimidation? Once the police verify that a person has no criminal record and is not wanted, and that what they are doing is not a crime, that should be the end of it. The Data Protection Act is to be followed by everyone, including the police. An identification cannot be used to go beyond what is appropriate or to intimidate anyone. My personal data must remain where it belongs, and that's that!

How have you been feeling these days? Do you have the feeling that your person has been questioned more than your message?

— I have the feeling that they need to show that they are the ones who hold the reins and that only they decide who can step out of line. It seems that who I am is more worrying than what I say. But Madò Farta will continue to make noise, because the message is much more important than the person behind the mask.

The controversy has caused the cancellation of some events in which she was supposed to participate. What explanations have they given her? Does she feel censored?

— The only explanation I see is fear. There are public spaces—libraries, health centers, high schools, assembly halls, schools, or sports centers—that don't even dare to put up a poster of a peasant woman! What is happening? Is a poster of Madò Farta so scary? Then you see that people like you and want you to participate in visits to schools, theaters, or concerts, but, when the time comes, they tell you: "Thanks for everything you are doing, but we have not reached a consensus." For me, this has a name: fear. And yes, I feel censored, because when the message is uncomfortable, it seems that it is easier to remove you from the scene than to face it.

Do you believe there is a will to delegitimize Madò Farta and thereby silence her denunciations against tourist overcrowding?

— I think so, and that often the easiest way to delegitimize a message is to try to discredit the person who transmits it. But, no matter how hard they try, there comes a time when things are so obvious that they can no longer be swept under the rug. Absolute atrocities are being committed with our territory, and it seems that we have to get used to it. The resident does nothing but work, more and more, to try to survive in their own home, while seeing how their island turns into a business for a few. We work to serve the tourist and the capital that comes from outside to settle here, while we have more and more difficulties to pay for housing, make ends meet, or simply live with dignity in our land. And this is not normal! It is not normal to have to give up living in your own home because everything has become a business. It is not normal that the territory has a price, but the quality of life of the residents has none. Madò Farta is not the problem. The problem is what she denounces. And, when people stop normalizing these atrocities and start to see that we cannot continue like this, we will have taken an important step. Because I don't intend to stop because someone feels uncomfortable. If reality is annoying, let them change reality, not try to silence those who denounce it!

Have they explained to you if your personal data will be recorded as a result of the identification? Have you asked to know what information they have on you and what they will use it for?

— They did not explain anything to me about what they would do with my personal data, or if it would be registered anywhere. They took my ID details and also wanted to ask for my phone number, but I told them I would not give it to them. In fact, one of the police officers himself told me that I had no obligation to provide it. I suppose, and hope, that they only use this data to know who the person is behind the mask, and that it does not go any further. I would not want to think that it could be used to intimidate me or send me messages through third parties. Because one thing is to identify a person and quite another is to make them feel watched or pressured. This time, when I got out of the police car, I took a photograph of each officer's badge number. The first time they identified me, at the airport, I did not do it, and afterwards I had to do some work to find out who had identified me. From that experience, I learned one thing: if someone identifies me, I also want to know who they are. The right to know who you are dealing with must be for everyone, not just for one side!

After everything that has happened, will you continue to denounce mass tourism in public acts? Has the way you intend to do so changed?

— Of course! Madò Farta will continue doing the same work, because I am not doing anything wrong nor do I have any reason to feel bad or take a step back. I have done nothing more than express a reality that many residents live every day and that too often it seems nobody wants to face. All this that has happened has only reinforced my desire to continue. Mind you, I am becoming more documented and better advised about what I can do and what other parties can do. I want to know my rights well and also the tools I have at my disposal to continue denouncing what I consider unjust. The way to do it? Perhaps each time it will be more prepared, more informed, and more conscious, but the message will remain the same. They will not make me change my speech nor will I stop going out into the street to say what many think and do not dare to say. Madò Farta has not come to ask for permission to exist, nor to speak clearly. And, as long as there are reasons to denounce, there will be Madò Farta!

Who is behind Madò Farta? Is it an individual project or are there more people involved? How are decisions made and how are the actions you carry out chosen?

— Behind Madò Farta there is not just one person, there are many more people than one might imagine! And, in fact, there are more and more people who collaborate, contribute ideas, and support this project. Madò Farta was born precisely with this intention: to start awakening consciences, to put on the table issues that are too often avoided, and to ensure that, little by little, more voices willing to do the same would appear. Because Madò Farta was never meant to be a person, it was meant to be a way of making people think, of questioning, and of losing the fear of saying what many feel. Decisions and actions are born from this exchange of ideas, from shared concerns, and from the desire to do something for our land. And the most important thing is that there are more and more people involved who support this initiative. Because Madò Farta is not a woman with a mask: it is a conscience that, if all goes well, will have more and more voices!

Are you planning to file a complaint or take any legal action regarding how the identification was carried out?

— No, at the moment I am not considering filing any complaint or taking any legal action. I think it became quite clear how everything happened and that, in the end, the facts speak for themselves. In any case, I think this whole episode has served to unmask many faces. The masks of those who always tell you they look out for your well-being, who work to protect the citizens and who defend our interests, but who, when the moment of truth arrives, seem to have other priorities. And this is precisely what I regret most. Because what should be of concern is what is happening with our land, with our residents and with the future of Mallorca, not who Madò Farta is or what face is hidden under the mask. In the end, I am the one wearing the mask, but there are many who, without wearing one, hide their true face very well!

The controversy has reached Parliament and has generated crossed political accusations. Do you think it is right that the case has turned into a political debate or do you believe this diverts attention from what happened?

— Of course it distracts from the issue! Enough of turning everything into a political battle to see who can get the most out of it. Let them stop the nonsense and throwing plates at each other; we are all grown up enough! I would like to see all these politicians dedicating the same energy to things that actually matter. Let them stop strolling through the villages, taking photos, and showing off in front of the cameras, and let them roll up their sleeves once and for all! Let them hit the books and seek solutions for the thousands of families who do not know how they will make it to the end of the month, who cannot pay rent, or who, quite simply, cannot find a place to live in their own home. Because while they argue about Madò Farta, the reality remains the same: housing prices through the roof, the massification that does not stop, and residents who find it increasingly difficult to live with dignity on their own island. Let them stop worrying so much about the mask and start looking at what is happening right under their noses! Mallorca does not need more politicians acting, it needs solutions and people who do real work!