On Tuesday, climate activists from Futuro Vegetal vandalized the façade of footballer Lionel Messi’s mansion in Ibiza, splattering red and black paint to draw attention to the “responsibility of the rich” in the climate crisis.
In a statement, the group characterized their actions as “non-violent civil disobedience,” aimed at protesting government policies that exacerbate the climate crisis and highlighting the unequal burden it places on different classes.
The activists unfurled banners on both the mansion’s façade and in the garden, with provocative slogans in English urging people to “help the planet, eat a rich person, and abolish the police.” They referenced a 2023 Oxfam report revealing that the wealthiest 1% of the global population emitted the same amount of carbon in 2019 as the poorest two-thirds, even as the most vulnerable communities bear the brunt of the crisis.
According to the group, Messi’s mansion is an “illegal” construction he purchased for an “exorbitant” 11 million euros. Futuro Vegetal spokesperson Bilbo Bassaterra claimed, “the law does not work the same for everyone,” pointing out that nearly 200 workers have been evicted in Ibiza this week while the Partido Popular and Vox plan to legalize illegal buildings for a fee.
The organization also denounced the police as a “repressive tool” that upholds a system where the elite can act with impunity, criticizing the Balearic government for promoting tourism as a “solution to all the islands’ problems.”
This is the second consecutive summer that Futuro Vegetal has targeted Ibiza for their protests. Last summer, they spray-painted the cherries of the Pacha nightclub and stormed the luxury beach club Blue Marlin in Cala Jondal, displaying the slogan: “Your luxury, our climate crisis.”
They also targeted a private jet, a Lamborghini, and the mega-yacht Kaos, owned by Nancy Walton Laurie, the billionaire heiress of Walmart.
