Panic in Majorca as furious locals announce new protests in holiday hotspot

Protestors are poised to march through the streets of Majorca due to a new law that could lead to the island's rural landscapes being razed for housing developments. The legislation would permit construction on countryside land that has been safeguarded for years, potentially converting olive groves, almond orchards, and natural spaces into luxury homes and holiday resorts.

Demonstrators argue that the law will increase housing costs for locals while destroying the scenery that draws tourists to the island. Majorca is already grappling with skyrocketing rent and property prices, fuelled by mass tourism and overseas investment. Environmental organisations have called the legislation a "territorial, social and ecological bomb" and are planning a significant protest for July 7.

The law would allow councils to reclassify protected rural areas as building land, paving the way for development in regions were it was previously not allowed, the Olive Press reports.

It would reclassify so-called "transition zones" - rural land currently safeguarded from development - into areas suitable for housing projects, but only in municipalities with populations over 20,000.

Towns and cities across Majorca, including Palma, Calvià, Marratxí, Llucmajor, Alcúdia, Inca and Manacor, would be impacted.

Critics say the law will merely benefit developers at the expense of local residents, while the government argues it will address the island's housing crisis.

The latest protest comes just days before a critical vote on the law in the Balearic Parliament.

The PP-Vox coalition, which assumed power through a pact, has prioritised economic development, with regional housing minister José Luis Mateo defending the proposals as a necessary intervention in response to a "residential emergency".