Local council condemns anti-foreigner graffiti, including ‘Germans out’, in Mallorca

Graffiti and stickers with anti-German messages have appeared on shops and vehicles in the town of Santanyí, in the south of Mallorca, telling Germans to leave the island and warning foreign property buyers to ‘go to hell’.

The messages, written in German and aimed at the area’s sizeable German community, appear to be an isolated incident but reflect a wider undercurrent of resentment towards tourism and affluent foreign residents in Mallorca.

According to the Diario de Mallorca, local police discovered the graffiti in the early hours of Friday morning and conducted a search in the area, but were unable to locate any suspects. The Guardia Civil was later notified.

The Santanyí council has denounced the vandalism, stating that ‘they do not represent the feelings of the majority of the public, nor is it believed that those responsible are residents of the municipality’.

Slogans like ‘Germans out’ were spray-painted in red on shop windows, doors and on cars with foreign – particularly German – number plates. The graffiti comes at a time of mounting anti-tourism sentiment across Spain. Demonstrations were held last year, and a fresh wave of protests have already begun this summer. ALSO READ: Thousands protest against over-tourism in Barcelona & Mallorca, many with water pistols.

Local media outlets reported that the word ‘Raus’ (Out) was spray-painted on various surfaces, and matching stickers were affixed to cars and shops linked to foreign nationals.

Other messages included: ‘Deutsche raus’ (Germans out) and ‘Ausländische Käufer fahrt zur Hölle’ (‘Foreign buyers, go to hell’), apparently targeting non-Spanish buyers snapping up property in the area.

Those behind Spain’s tourism protests argue that mass tourism is distorting the housing market, making homes unaffordable for locals and diluting local culture and traditions. Others warn, however, that tourism remains a critical pillar of the Spanish economy and that some of the backlash risks crossing into xenophobic territory. ALSO READ: Draft bill submitted for 100% tax on property purchases by non-resident, non-EU nationals.

A high-profile protest in Barcelona last summer saw demonstrators spray tourists with water pistols while they dined on outdoor terraces. ALSO READ: Tourists in Barcelona sprayed with water pistols, as 2,800 protest against mass tourism.

One of the people targeted was reportedly German artist Frank Krüger, who told the Mallorca Zeitung: ‘this was a planned and coordinated action, not the work of a single person’.

Cronica Balear online media quoted the Santanyí councillor for the far-right Vox party, Jorge Pérez, in their report, who on Monday condemned what he called ‘the escalation of hatred promoted by sectors of the far left and separatists’ following the appearance of graffiti and stickers with offensive and anti-German messages.

‘At Vox, we defend all those who pay taxes on our islands, respect our rules, and are an active part of the social fabric of Santanyí,’ said Pérez, who linked these actions to a campaign of ‘singling out and harassment’ under the pretext of criticising the current tourism model. ALSO READ: Lack of affordable housing and threat of mass tenants’ strike puts pressure on Spanish government.

Figures from Spain’s national statistics agency, INE, show that nearly 19,000 Germans are officially registered as residents in the Balearic Islands, with thousands more likely residing there part-time. ALSO READ: Spanish government to limit short-term rentals and tourist flats to address housing crisis.