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ollowing several large rallies against the planned Benoa Bay reclamation project, the Bali Police have called on people not to stage demonstrations on weekends as protests may disrupt tourism activities on the island.

Police chief Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyatno said the rallies could furnish Bali tourism with a bad image as such protests had begun to take place almost every weekend, involved thousands of people and caused gridlock.

“I have received text messages from many people, all saying that they feel disturbed [by the rallies]. When people wish to enjoy their holiday, but traffic congestion occurs everywhere, they feel disturbed,” Sugeng said.

Mounting opposition to the planned reclamation project has intensified since the Balinese Forum Against Reclamation (ForBali) first initiated the opposition and protests three years ago.

In recent months, thousands of people from a variety of backgrounds, including communities representing at least 35 customary villages across Bali, have joined the rallies. Recently one of these rallies prompted the brief closure of the Bali Mandara toll road in Benoa Bay that connects Denpasar, Kuta and Nusa Dua. The closure reportedly left many tourists with the impression that Bali was a chaotic island.

“Tourists will feel uncomfortable in Bali and consider cutting their visit short. They may even refuse to come back here again,” Sugeng said.

As a solution, Sugeng said people could still stage the protest against the plan on weekdays.

“It would be better if the rallies were to take place in front of the governor’s office or the Bali Legislative Council [DPRD] building so they can immediately respond to the rally,” he said.

If the rallies continue on weekends, he added, the future of Bali tourism may be severely damaged.

Kuta customary village chief Wayan Swarsa said that, while he respected the Bali Police chief’s demand, the rallies had so far been peaceful and had served as an additional attraction, adding that many tourists had enjoyed seeing the rallies as they had been designed with elements of a cultural parade.

“We have no intention to destroy our home. We live from tourism and we know how to manage it,” Swarsa said.

The planned reclamation of Benoa Bay was proposed by PT Tirta Wahana Bali Internasional, a company controlled by tycoon Tommy Winata.

Protesters have demanded that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo revoke Presidential regulation No. 51/2014 as it had re-zoned Benoa Bay as a business site. Prior to the regulation, Benoa Bay was an environmental buffer zone and green-belt area.

High Priests of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council (PHDI) have declared Benoa Bay to be a sacred area, narrowing the possibility that the planned reclamation will go ahead. The decision was based on the recommendation of a team of nine high priests.

Customary village chief of Buduk in the Mengwi area of Badung, Ida Bagus Ketut Purba Negara, said that they had made the decision to rally in the streets of Bali instead of expressing their objection at the governor’s office and council building because, despite ongoing protest, the protesters had never been heard.

“They did not open any chance for communication. We wish that the governor or the Bali Legislative Council [would] open communication,” Purba Negara said.

ForBali coordinator, Wayan Gendo Suardana, said that they would consider the police demand to only conduct rallies during office hours. However, he did not agree that the rallies had harmed people and or resulted in a heavy traffic increase.

“If we were to rally in front of the governor’s office, it would also cause a traffic jam. So, what’s the difference?” he said.