Fix You? Puerto Pollensa and protest

The protest season goes from strength to strength. A general strike, some time or other; Puerto Alcúdia, a petition against all-inclusives, possibly; now Puerto Pollensa. On 2 June, setting off from the petrol station, i.e. the one opposite the fire-fighter-roundabout Eroski, a thousand people, so it is hoped, will take to the streets. Why?

I am grateful to Zelda at www.puertopollensa.com for sending me the bits and pieces which come from Annika at Sail & Surf who seems to be the main organiser of this demo. I like Annika. Who wouldn't? I wish her success. But the question remains - why?

The litany of problems that the small businesses of the Moll want addressing are as follows: the lack of good parking; access ways from the by-pass to the front line of Puerto Pollensa by car and on foot; a lack of clear signing of the entrance to the port from the by-pass; lack of street lighting; rubbish and lack of cleanliness; a need for improved pavements and green area maintenance; the speed of traffic along the coast road into the port; the need for greater night-time security; the need for a general "beautifying" of the port and for public lavs.

Fine. Anything else anyone wants to add? Why not toss in the need to pedestrianise the whole of the front line? Oh, sorry, forgot. They did away with that because the small businesses didn't want it. You'd crack some of the above at a stroke if there were no traffic along the coast road into the port.

Look, there is nothing wrong with any of what is the target of this protest. Much of it is familiar in terms of gripes regarding Puerto Pollensa. But is this, will this protest be indicative of casting around for something, anything, to put into the gun sight as a way of voicing anxiety regarding the currently lousy state of tourism? I have a horrible feeling that it might be. In which case, it is irrelevant. There is also a worry that, as I have said elsewhere in respect of protest in Puerto Alcúdia, that some sort of demo is counterproductive. Don't, whatever you do, fool yourselves into thinking that the majority of tourists either know or care about what ever the problems in Puerto Pollensa might be. Go demo-ing and bring attention to the problems, and they soon will know. Thanks very much. Best go to Croatia next year.

There is, though, more to all of this. It isn't simply a case of protest for protest's sake. There are legitimate points being raised, but it is the ones who should be listening who are the problem. Those at the town hall.

Pollensa town hall is hugely in debt, and that debt is likely to rise. It sought credit this year, only a part of which was forthcoming. There is most unlikely to be any more in the short term, given that the Spanish Government has frozen town halls' credit. Want better street lighting therefore? Go wave a lighter, then. A thousand arms waving in a Coldplay "Fix You" style. But the town hall can't fix it. No money, chums.

Even more than all this is the fact that the protest would be a manifestation of the massive distance between Moll and town. Town and down - down there by the sea. Pollensa is not unique in this regard. Think Santa Margalida and Muro as well. Only Alcúdia escapes the problems of physical and psychological distance between town and down. Ask yourselves this question? Why is there a town hall "delegate" for the Moll? One who is widely held in contempt? What do you need a delegate for? It's the same town, for crying out loud. The very existence of such a delegate tells you all you need to know. The Moll, the port is the town's second-class citizen, down there, down by the sea. Not here. Up in the town.

Protest? Go ahead. Better still, declare UDI.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.