Locals Protest Against Closure Of Popular Magaluf Bars

Story By: Lisa-Maria Goertz, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Around 200 people have taken to the streets to protest against the closure of restaurants and bars in the popular Spanish tourist resort of Magaluf as they said they “love” tourists.

The demonstration was made up of employees and local business owners in an area of the Magaluf resort called Punta Ballena on the Balearic Island of Majorca off Spain’s eastern coast.

The protest comes after new government measures following a resurge in coronavirus cases forced the closure of the area which is a well-known party spot for Brits abroad.

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Police have closed every establishment on the Punta Ballena strip and the unnamed owner of Chippy Bar told local newspaper Diario de Mallorca: “At 12:00 in the morning, the decree was approved and around 3:00 pm they began to arrive to tell us that we had to close.”

A video shows the protestors outside the Britannia Bar with placards saying things like “we want to work”, “we love tourists” and “stop the persecution.”

The workers, who say they feel “ignored” by the government, also demanded the resignation of the Balearic Islands’ Minister of Tourism, Iago Negueruela.

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According to national newspaper Ultima Hora, the protestors marched through the streets of Punta Ballena, before stopping at their final point where they read a manifesto with claims and requests.

During the speech, an unnamed man reading the manifesto called out the Calvia City Council for being a “disappointing, terrible and mean” administration.

He added: “They have failed to manage a situation that has left more than 700 people on the street.

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“They have left Magaluf sick and on the verge of death… People want to work to survive,”

The manifesto also calls for better management of the tourist area and more coronavirus tests for tourists arriving on the island.

The tourist also used the occasion to highlight the problems caused by large hoteliers and tour operators who sell all-inclusive packages which do not contribute to the local economy as they leave tourists with little purchasing power.

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The British government has recently come under fire for advising against all but necessary travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands and reintroducing mandatory 14-day quarantine for those who do choose to travel.

In Majorca, 130 cases have been registered in the last 14 days according to a recent report by national newspaper 20 minutos.

Overall in the Balearic Islands, there have been 2,401 confirmed cases and 224 deaths according to the latest figures from the John Hopkins University.

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