Now it is your turn, Javea Connect readers, to vote in the same poll. ( Below) The Marina Alta results shown on the front cover can be seen again later in this article.
The celebration of the Bous al carrer or, in general, of show of this kind is always a controversial issue for society in Spain. The opinions come almost without asking, but when they are asked, the positions are quite clear and radical: “bous yes or bous no?”
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In September, LaMarinaAlta.com asked its readers to participate in a survey about what should happen with the future of the Bous al Carrer. The last few months had been a source of news and events for this type of celebration and it was a matter of concern both for society and for the different regional and provincial institutions.
The proposed survey sought to find out if the participants were in favour or against proposing new restrictions or ways of celebrating the fiestas to make them safer In the two main summer months, Bous al Carrer had caused a total of eight deaths, the highest death toll since 2014.
With the knowledge that there is a section of the population highly against these fiestas, the option of voting for the total prohibition of the Bous al carrer was also given and indeed, the option to which the majority of participants voted, leaving aside completely the possibility of developing new measures that would improve conditions.
More than half of those surveyed, 68,57%, think that the celebration of the Bous al carrer should be prohibited, while 10,42% think that it should try to improve with new restrictions. On the other hand, those people who would leave the fiestas as they have been represent just 21.01% of voters.
A decision, for the moment, lies with the City Councils
Rambling on the subject is easy. But opinions and desires of citizens in this regard are so disparate and cause so much controversy.
The Bous al carrer in the Valencian Community are understood as traditional bullfighting festivities, as stated in the Official Diari of the Generalitat Valenciana. The Decree 31 / 2015 that regulates the festival specifies that, in order to celebrate it, the organiser must necessarily have “the favorable declaration of the City Council of the town where it will take place.”
The decision is left in the hands of each municipal authority, so, for the moment, the prohibition of the Bous al carrer by the Generalitat is impossible. However, unless one of the promoters of the festival in a town is the Consistory itself, it is within its rights not to allow it.
As an example, Sueca, which has not allowed the celebration since 2015 despite the attempts of the bullfighting club of the municipality. At the time, this population submitted the celebration to citizen consultation where the no prevailed over the yes. Although the question was aimed at whether the City Council should subsidise the celebration.
In 2019, a judge endorsed the non-authorisation of the celebration by the City Councils when in 2017 the Paiporta bullfighting club filed an appeal against its municipal government for refusing to celebrate them. In this case, the magistrate of the Contentious-Administrative Court number 6 of Valencia considered that it was a “legitimate political decision” of the City Council, since the aforementioned decree establishes it. Something that gave the security that was lacking to those consistories that decided from then on not to celebrate the festival in their municipal area.
What the Generalitat can do, as the vice president of the Consell, Aitana Mas, mentioned, is to propose additional or different measures to the current ones so that the festival is more regulated and unnecessary dangers are avoided in bullfighting venues. But the solutions are as broad as you want to digress.
Therefore, accompanying the poll some proposals arose or, better, possibilities in this regard. But, until now, only the Diputación de Alicante has been emboldened to support the celebration and has assured that it will allocate a game of about 100.000 euros next year to reinforce the security of the Bous al carrer in their province. ( Source: La Marina Alta.com)
Jc Opinion – And so, we carry on waiting for the local councils to change their attitudes and maybe think about buying some of those huge inflatable bulls for the fiestas – they look so much more fun and the dangers of being gored, injured or killed by a frightened or angry “bulloon” seems rather remote IMHO!
