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THE Balearic movement for Democracy and Social Globalisation is organising what it hopes will be a mass-rally calling for the Balearics to ban any further warships from visiting the region. The demonstration is due to take place next Thursday outside the central government delegation in Palma.
Despite repeated calls from the organisation and the former Balearic government for Madrid not to permit visits by allied warships to the Balearics, since the end of the Iraq War, no less than nine United States Navy and Royal navy ships have called in to Palma on their way home from the conflict. Spokesperson for the movement, Josep Juárez, said yesterday that the visits are made even worse by the fact that the sailors and marines are using Palma to rest and recuperate from the war. He also claimed that warships are not following the usual rules and applying for permission to dock in Palma well in advance: “they're mooring up and then announcing they're here,” he said. The demonstration is expected to start at 7.30pm and Josep Juárez urged the public to take part, stressing the importance of the protest: “on the one hand warships carrying weapons pose a potential threat to us all,” he proclaimed “while on the other hand from an ethical and moral position, it is undignified that warships come to peaceful regions.” He also said that the organisation has strong suspicions that Balearic airspace has also been used by fighter planes and bombers. During the Iraq War, there were a number of large peace protests all over the island and Josep Juárez praised the public for their sensitivity and backing for the anti-war movement.