Environmentalists furious after bombshell concert: “Ecological massacre” in Spanish renaturation area

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Despite protests from environmentalists and other groups, Madrid staged a huge and deafening firecracker concert in a restoration area along the Manzanares River. The “Mascletà” fireworks lasted about seven minutes on Sunday on the Puente del Rey (Royal Bridge) near the Royal Palace in the west of the Spanish capital. According to official information, more than 300 kilos of fireworks were shot off for thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

Environmentalists from several organizations called the event an “ecological massacre.” It was said this would endanger more than 134 species. “It is absurd to detonate hundreds of kilos of gunpowder in a protected area,” complained the coordinator of animal protection organization Anima Naturalis, Jaime Posada. Previously, doctors and politicians had also raised concerns about the health and safety of pets and certain groups of people, such as the elderly, autistic children and patients at a nearby hospital.

Protests against seven-minute fireworks concert

There were protest demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday, attended by hundreds. Madrid’s conservative mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, described the left-wing opposition’s critics as “hillbillies.” On Friday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the event, which cost 46,000 euros.

The “Mascletà” in Madrid was also criticized because these booming fireworks displays, in which the rhythm and volume are gradually increased, are not part of the capital’s customs at all, but are instead held in the communities of the eastern Spanish region Valencia during the spring festival “Fallas”. The first «Mascletà» in the history of Madrid is the result of an agreement between the capital and the city of Valencia to mutually support each other in promoting tourism. (SDA)

Source: Blick