This Sunday, ten thousand people formed a large human chain on sa Ràpita beach, in Migjorn de Mallorca – the call was made by the entities GOB, Terraferida and Menys Turisme Més Vida –, to protest against the legislative changes recently introduced by the Balearic Government. In summary: through a controversial omnibus law, and also modifying the current agrarian law in the Balearic Islands with a series of provisions, up to 80% of Mallorca's territory is unprotected. The deregulation affects rural land, but also very important natural spaces, such as the es Trenc - Salobrar de Campos Natural Park (which was the reason for Sunday's protest), the Serra de Tramuntana or the islands of Cabrera and sa Dragonera, which also enjoy high levels of legislative protection. If the will of the current PP-Vox government goes ahead, the destruction of the island for the benefit of the interests of speculators, vulture funds and large international tourism companies will be a fact. For the citizens, there will be impoverishment, increased social inequalities, overcrowding, the housing emergency, coexistence problems and a destroyed Mediterranean island (except in the wealthy areas, of course).Es Trenc is an emblematic space. Its declaration as a natural park is one of the great historical victories of environmentalism, and the Mallorcan right has never been able to bear not having been able to turn that area into a focus of mass tourism in the style of Magaluf or s'Arenal. The new omnibus law would mean leaving up to 74,000 square meters of the natural park to the whim or will of the PP and Vox, through the approval of a simple decree via the governing council.The citizen reaction has been massive and forceful. It will be even more so at the large demonstration called for next July 26. Nervousness is noticeable on the part of the Mallorcan right. The works committee of the public radio and television chain, IB3, denounces that the information broadcast about the human chain was censored and manipulated: “The text provided by the team present at the event was directly modified by the news management,” reads the statement. Also that the bizarre appearance, during the reading of the protest manifesto, of the mayor of Campos, Francisca Porquer (who already declared that she would “sign” to suppress the Trenc Natural Park), was sought to be minimized in order to try to sabotage the event. In addition to the absurdity, what was seen there was a public authority trying to impede the right of free demonstration. An unusual and very serious fact, which gives a clear idea of the respect that the current PP has for the citizenry and for the very foundations of democracy.As we said, there will be more mobilizations. The PP, IB3, and the Balearic Government should – in addition to giving explanations and assuming responsibility for these shameful episodes – rectify and be on par with their interlocutors, who are the citizens of the Balearic Islands. It is doubtful, however, that they will do so: they have decided to govern with fascists.
