Lifeguards in Palma stage dramatic protest at Can Pere Antoni

Water, drums, and a clear message to policymakers

In the early Saturday morning, as the first tourists were still sipping their coffee along Passeig Marítim, about thirty lifeguards at Can Pere Antoni went into the sea and did not perform a normal shift. They conducted CPR drills on the sand, pulled injured "victims" ashore, and laid on their stomachs in the water — a deliberately theatrical gesture against the situation they see themselves in.

The action was loud, visible and film-ready: drums, signs, and drone footage documenting the whole event from above. Those strolling by stopped. Some shook their heads, others photographed with their phones — a typical Saturday morning, only with a serious backdrop.

What are the lifeguards fighting for?

The demands are practical: more staff, longer, more predictable shifts, meaningful distances between lifeguard towers, and working conditions that allow life on the island. In conversations on site, I repeatedly heard the same line: Not everything is about money, but without stable framework conditions the lifeguard service loses its impact.

What particularly annoys the crew is the practice of municipalities to set minimum services at 100 percent — many see this as an attempt to undermine the right to strike while also being a symptom of chronic staffing shortages.

The situation on the islands

The open-ended strike now affects several municipalities: Palma, Calvià, and places on Ibiza such as Sant Josep and Eivissa. The union reports that dozens of people have died on the Balearic Islands this year — many of them at unguarded beaches. This is the core message of the demonstrators: it is about concrete protection, not symbolism.

For the emergency services, housing is a constant issue. Those standing a tower for nine or ten hours need affordable accommodation afterwards — and in many places there simply isn’t any. That worsens staffing problems and leads to local overload.

What happens next?

The protests are not planned as a one-off. In October, several rallies are announced in Palma, including on Plaza España and in front of the Consolat de Mar. Negotiations with employers have recently remained inconclusive; in some cases, representatives of the administration did not show up for meetings.

On the promenade, I heard an elderly woman say: "We want them to stay on the beach — not just for photos." A sentence that sounds simple and right.

Anyone who watches the sea daily quickly notices: safety is not a figure to cut.