Residents protest Christmas market in Sa Feixina Park

Dispute over the Christmas market: residents demand answers

Early on Saturday morning, shortly after 8 a.m., passing joggers and parents with prams found construction fences blocking the path to the central area of Sa Feixina Park in Palma. Wooden stalls were already being assembled on the lawns and cable drums lay scattered — the Christmas market is being prepared. For many residents, this is no reason to celebrate.

Complaints have been accumulating in WhatsApp groups and on stairwells for days: residents accuse the city administration of having pushed the project through without sufficient information. "Nobody showed us the documents," says a neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous. She is demanding access to the contracts and the technical reports. That may sound like bureaucratic language, but it hits straight into everyday feelings here: What is happening in our park?

What problems do the residents see?

The list is long and concrete: a planned "reindeer slide" would, according to complaint letters, block one of the main staircases and brush against branches, potentially damaging tree crowns. Several stalls are to be set up close to a heavily used cycle path — conflict seems inevitable there, especially at rush hour when schoolchildren and commuters are on the move.

Particularly controversial is a raised ice rink that is to be installed over a decommissioned fountain. Residents warn of structural issues and water damage. "I've lived opposite for ten years and have never seen that fountain in operation," says an older man carrying his shopping past the site. "A heavy ice rink up there? That doesn't sit well with me."

Added to this are concerns about noise, extra parking pressure in the narrow side streets and about cleaning: Sa Feixina is one of the few large green spaces in the area. If it gets very busy here, some fear the park will suffer as a local recreational spot.

What is the neighborhood demanding?

In short: transparency and safety. Many call on the city council to make the technical reports and permits public. Some also demand a renewed on-site inspection with independent experts before heavy or elevated constructions are approved.

The mood is not uniform: there are also voices that welcome the market — they hope for a bit of liveliness and some Christmas spirit after a quiet year. But the loud complaints show that communication between the town hall and residents apparently went poorly.

In the coming days the debate is likely to continue. Whether the city grants access to the documents or announces revisions will determine whether the Christmas market becomes an occasion for shared festivities — or a reminder of failed planning. Anyone who regularly walks through Sa Feixina notices: this park is part of everyday life here. And if it is changed, people at least want to know why.