Youth of Ibiza expects "thousands of people" at Sunday's demonstration against the expansion of Codolar airport

IbizaThe goal is to give a strong wake-up call to the administrations, a big one, that cannot be ignored or disregarded. "We are expecting thousands of people," asserts the president of Joves d’Eivissa, Marga Torres. The demonstration will depart on Sunday at 6 PM from Vara de Rey and, with a route of a little over a kilometer, it will pass in front of the Council and end at Reina Sofia park, where a manifesto will be read. The diffusion on social media has been very intense in recent days, carried out in coordination with the platforms against the expansion of the airports in Barcelona and Mallorca. "It was when we learned that a call was going to be made against the expansion of El Prat that we decided it was the moment; afterwards, Mallorca joined in," explains Marga Torres. "I believe there is a favorable social context and that the people of the Pityusic Islands clearly reject the airport expansion," reasons the president.

Joves d’Eivissa is leading the call, although behind it are about fifteen groups and entities from the Pityusic Islands; among others, the neighborhood associations closest to the airport (Can Frígoles, Rafal Trobat, Can Palleu, and la Caleta), the GEN-GOB, the IEE, and the Santa Maria de Formentera Festival Commission. "Joves d’Eivissa was chosen to lead because we have been moving quite a bit in recent times," explains the association's president. Indeed, Joves d’Eivissa has carried out actions that have obtained very significant media coverage: the popular water-melon protest last August 30th, with the occupation of Cala Saladeta, ended up bouncing in international media such as The Sun, The New York Post and Fox News, which highlights the media capacity of the young people from Ibiza. "We want the administrations to start taking us residents into account in tourism decision-making," explains Marga Torres. "We are used to people doing whatever they want with Ibiza, but we do not feel part of everything that is being decided." The day after the demonstration, Joves d’Eivissa already has a meeting scheduled with the president of the Council, Vicent Marí.

This Sunday's demonstration comes in a context of continuous expansion of airport activity – 1.5 million passengers in August alone, 2.5% more – while the perception grows in the Pityusic Islands that tourism has become a business that generates huge profits for a few companies but many difficulties for residents. For this reason, the macro-project for the expansion of Ibiza airport, which will virtually allow for the doubling of airport traffic, raises the concern of many citizens. In recent months, moreover, the airport has caused several sewage spills in the middle of the Ses Salines natural park, which has not contributed to improving Aena's image among residents; nor has this image been improved by the massive presence of nightclub advertising in the airport facilities, one more summer, nor the organization of DJ sessions in the duty free area.