The Police order the removal of the terraces in El Born for fear of "sabotage" during the neighborhood's al fresco dinner
Cort distances itself from the measure and attributes the order to remove the furniture from the establishments to the agents, who justify it by the incidents after the demonstration of July 26
The terraces on the passeig del Born will have to disappear this Wednesday afternoon due to the risk that Brunzzit's last outdoor dinner could lead, according to the National Police, to acts of "coercion, sabotage, or direct confrontation" against hospitality establishments. The citizens' collective had called for a walk and a dinner on the benches of the promenade to reclaim a space they consider to be progressively occupied by the terraces.
The Palma City Council has wanted to make it clear that the removal of the furniture is not a political decision by the government team. Cort attributes the order to a preventive measure communicated by the National Police in view of an act authorized by the Government Delegation in the Balearic Islands.
The Provincial Information Brigade considers it "essential and decisive" to remove all non-fixed furniture from the establishments in El Born to prevent public disorder, vandalism, or disturbances. The measure affects precisely the terraces against which, according to the police interpretation, the protest could be directed.
The precedent of the July demonstration
The Police base the risk on the incidents that occurred on July 26, once the massive demonstration against tourist overcrowding called by Menys Turisme, Més Vida had ended. On that day, police charges and moments of tension took place in El Born.
According to the police report disseminated by Cort, some demonstrators heckled clients and workers of the establishments and the incidents forced some users to hastily leave the terraces. Based on this precedent, the Police consider that this Wednesday's call could generate new confrontations.
The agents also interpret the slogan 'liberation of public space' with which Brunzzit presented the meeting as a risk factor. According to the Information Brigade, this objective could indicate that the event is 'aimed at carrying out actions directed against terraces and marquees installed on public roads' and 'exponentially' increases the possibility of sabotage or coercion.
This forecast contrasts with the development of the outdoor dinners organized throughout the summer in different parts of Palma, which have so far taken place without incident.
A stroll with the godparents
Brunzzit has called citizens to El Born with the proposal to recover the traditional use of the promenade. The collective recalls that it had been a place for family gatherings, festivities, and meetings for the youth of the city, but denounces that it is currently covered with terraces.
According to the organizers, businesses occupy about 130 square meters of the promenade with tables and chairs intended for a clientele capable of paying prices they consider unaffordable for the average worker in Mallorca.
To emphasize the intergenerational nature of the call, Brunzzit has invited participants to attend with their godparents and other relatives. The collective had announced that, initially, they would not set up tables or chairs, but would use the benches in El Born.
“We know it is a special place and that is why we want to bid farewell to summer in a special way, walking through the city we want,” explained the organizers. The gathering closes the second summer of outdoor dinners organized by Brunzzit, an initiative that revives the custom of dining in the street to denounce the loss of spaces for residents to coexist.
