Thousands of people say no to touristification in Sóller: "Prohens, listen, we are in a fight"

PalmaSome 2,500 people (according to the organizers, 1,000 people according to the Spanish government delegation) demonstrated this Saturday in Sóller along a route that began in Plaça dels Estiradors, passed through Carrer de la Lluna, and culminated in Plaça de la Constitució. After the demonstration on July 26 in Palma, Sóller, a symbol of tourist overcrowding, was the next stage of citizen mobilization.

With slogans such as ‘Land or death’, people of all ages and backgrounds have once again put on the table the perverse effects that overcrowding and speculation inherent in this economic model have on citizens: "We can no longer live in our cities and towns," explained Margalida, a young woman from Sóller. This is the first time there has been an anti-saturation mobilization of this magnitude outside of Palma, a fact that highlights the level of exhaustion of the population. The protest was called by Moviment Jove de Sóller, together with Menys Turisme, Més Vida.

From early in the morning, an unusual sight could be seen in Sóller. In Plaça de la Constitució, no bar was open, nor had any terrace been set up. But there were Civil Guards and local police in every corner. Some restaurateurs and merchants had already expressed their concern about the protest. But the reservations have been unfounded, because the demonstration has developed in a civic and peaceful manner. "The Civil Guards told us to be alert, in case we have to lower the barrier quickly," explained a shop assistant from a bakery with a look of astonishment while some customers laughed".

Also from the first hour, tourists have been amazed by the scene offered by the center of Sóller, which, as 10 a.m. approached, the moment to kick off the protest, was filling with people and banners. Two buses with demonstrators have traveled to Sóller, one from Manacor and another from Palma, and at 9:40 a.m. there were already hundreds of people waiting in Plaça dels Estiradors. In addition to the conveners, about eighty entities have joined.

"We are here because what we are living is impossible. You can't even walk through your town and everything is much more expensive. We have to go to Palma to buy what we need and bring it here. We are not against tourists, but we want a normal life," commented Aina, willing to make the protest route despite her mobility difficulties.

"Sóller and the island are at their limit, they can't take it anymore. We've been saying it for years and we are not heard," said Sofia Zamrik, one of the spokespeople for the Sóller Youth Movement.