Press buzzing with Carnaval Hysteria

Oh boy and, they're doing it in at least two languages. The earlier story is now being covered by Reuters, both in the international news, UK news and on their blog. ArchipelagoNoticias reiterates the alarm that the injunction is causing.

This article at Canarias7 points out that the suspension is not definitive and says that the town hall is to try to negotiate with the residents through the courts on Monday, in an attempt to reach an agreement. It also reiterates the history of Carnaval arriving with the conquistadores and being prohibited on various occasions; by King Carlos I in 1523 and by King Felipe II, as well as during the time of the Civil War.

That still did not prevent the Carnaval from being declared as a national tourist interest in 1967 and, internationally in 1980. And thereby, I think will hold the key. At the end of the day, Carnaval is popular with more people than it is unpopular. It also puts too much food into too many mouths - the expensive stalls that are erected all around the city center, as well as all the ongoing tourist revenue - to get squashed.

Then there is the matter of how would you stop revellers, if they decided to say "up yours" to the ban? Already today, dozens of Carnaval fans and members of Carnaval groups protested outside the town hall against the injunction and in sarcastic irony, they made their protest by tooting horns, i.e. making noise!

Meanwhile, the president of the Carnaval organizers in C�diz, says that the judges decision "sounds more like a desire to annoy, than anything else." He also makes the valid point that Carnaval is only once a year and says that for noise to be a nuisance, it would have to be something that happened every day.

Even the so called Ley del botell�n - that restricts the consumption of alcohol in the streets - excluded popular fiestas, such as fairs, carnivals or romerias.

One of the most practical suggestions, so far, made by one of carnaval's well-known characters, was that they should have a whip round and pay for those residents who prefer rest to stay in apartments well away on the south of the island.

The case, no doubt, will continue ...

(And you can't help thinking that it's jolly good publicity in the meantime. -)

Labels: Carnaval 2007

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