"Ride to hell"

Majorcans protest against rich foreigners

Activists on Mallorca are protesting against rich people from abroad. They blame them for the high rents and housing shortage. Protest graffiti is now increasingly part of the cityscape.

For example, the giant cult figure of a bull now reads "Rich Foreign Property Buyers - Go To Hell". The Osborne bulls were erected all over Spain in the 1950s as advertising for a brandy brand, but some were later dismantled. Around 90 of them can still be seen across the country today.

The locals are particularly annoyed by the housing shortage, which they attribute to the increase in vacation homes. In the past year, there have been repeated demonstrations in which tourists have been abused and sprayed with water pistols. Holidaymakers are blamed for higher prices in restaurants, traffic jams, noise and dirt, for example.

Here you can see a picture of the protest action.

Demonstration in April
Tourism accounts for almost 14 percent of Spain's gross domestic product. In some regions, the proportion is significantly higher. In Mallorca and the rest of the Balearic Islands, it accounts for around 35 percent. 

Various organizations have called for protest demonstrations against the housing shortage throughout the country on 5 April.