Despite being approved in plenary session, Almeida refuses to place the LGTBI flag in Cibeles
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has come backreject the possibility of displaying the LGTBI flag on the facade of the Palacio de Cibeles on the occasion of the celebration of the Pride Festival. The alderman has encroached on compliance with a Supreme Court ruling arguing that he only allows official flags to be placed, despite the fact that said ruling actually only excludes those flags joined by a mast and not banners or banners.
The mayor, however, has agreed to illuminate both the Consistory and the fountain of Cibeles with the colors of the rainbow. After an event held at the Town Hall headquarters, Almeida has defended that there is a «absolute agreement» in the municipal government, made up of PP and Citizens, «andn around the fact that, as a result of the Supreme Court ruling, no type of flag can be placed on the façade of the Madrid City Council«.
«In this sense, yesterday both Begoña Villacís as Silvia Saavedra, made it clear that obviously we cannot disregard or disobey that sentence of the Supreme Court. It is still curious, in any case, that those who want to take advantage of the LGTBI collective to engage in politics, however, ignore that this year, as happened last year, the Palacio de Cibeles and the fountain will be illuminated with the colors of the flaga”, the mayor added.
In addition, the alderman has ironized with the attacks that his Government has received for this decision: «This government team has a curious way of hiding the flag, of not wanting to cooperate in Pride, when last year the building and the fountain were lit up with the colors of the flag«.
The precedent of 2021
In 2021, the deputy mayor of the capital, Begoña Villacís, has already tried to compensate for the absence of the flag on the facade of the City Hall by announcing the display of a flag on the Gran Vía, which would measure 700 meters long for a value of 15.000 euros and would be paid for by the department he directs.
However, and after several days of crossed accusations between the PP and Ciudadanos, the flag was finally not unfurled because the Association of Companies and Professionals for Gays and Lesbians of Madrid and its Community (AEGAL) did not obtain the necessary permits from the Board of corresponding district.
