‘Go home’: Chaos on beach as tourists shamed

Wild footage has shown a tense scene on a popular European beach, as anger grows across the continent about mass tourism pricing out locals.

Hundreds of locals have blocked tourists from accessing a popular European beach, as concerns grow across the continent over mass tourism pricing out locals.

Activists from the Spanish island of Mallorca wielded banners that read “SOS Residents” and handed out leaflets in English and German to target holiday-makers at Caló des Moro cove last weekend.

Protesters physically obstructed pathways and demanded tourists to leave with one woman yelling “go, go, go”.

“Tourists have taken over the beach. For one day, we’re going to enjoy it,” one local man explained to confused tourists.

Caló des Moro is known for its stunning views and crystal-clear waters, attracting Instagram influencers and tourists.

Mallorca obstructed pathways and demanded tourists to leave the popular Caló des Moro last week. Picture: IB3 NOTÍCIES

Locals wielded banners that read ‘SOS Residents’. Picture: IB3 NOTÍCIES

Last summer, tourists formed three hour queues to get a spot at the beach, with some tourists bringing changes of swimwear to take a series of photos, prompting mayor Maria Pons to acknowledge the area had become an “obsession”.

The protest last week started with about 20 locals and soon escalated to more than 200, as protesters continued their mission to drive out visitors.

What started as about 20 protesters soon escalated to more than 200.

Another sign read ‘beware of locals we’re angry’. Picture: IB3 NOTÍCIES

The protests come as part of a larger movement across the Balearic Islands including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza – organised by the Mallorca Platja Tour social media group.

Last month, footage went viral of the moment protesters in Mallorca descended on holiday-makers as they dined out – booing and chanting “tourists go home”.

The 10,000-strong hoard of demonstrators took to the streets to vent their anger over tourist saturation as they chanted “Let’s save Majorca. Foreigners out”.

The march through Palma’s capital reached a climax when protesters appeared to boo and jeer alongside tourists enjoying their evening meal in Weyler Square.

The banners campaigners carried included one with the offensive message: “Salvem Mallorca, guiris arruix” which in Catalan Spanish means “Let’s save Mallorca, foreigners out”.

The phrase played on the colloquial Spanish expression Guiri which is used to portray northern European tourists like the British holiday-makers partying in Magaluf, usually in a mildly offensive way.

The protests come as part of a larger movement across the Balearic Islands over mass tourism concerns. Picture: IB3 NOTÍCIES

A British holidaymaker caught in the chaos described how she fled before things “turned nasty” as protesters shouted at and mocked UK visitors as they passed.

Locals want more stringent tourism policies and management of the influx of visitors, allegedly calling for limits on new tourist accommodations and stricter controls on holiday rentals which have reportedly driven up housing prices.

Meanwhile, a movement against “overtourism” has been ongoing in Barcelona since 2018, and just this March riot police and protesters – chanting “Barcelona is not for sale” – clashed, the Metro UK reported.

– with The Sun