Tense Moments at the Venue Entrance as Crowds Gather for Armed Forces Day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
For the first time in 39 years, Santa Cruz de Tenerife hosted the Armed Forces Day, leading to a tense atmosphere at the entrance of the viewing area reserved for the public. Early attendees started gathering around the Ermita de Regla from as early as 5:00 am. By this early morning hour, people had already claimed spots in one of the two stands set up by the Santa Cruz City Council. The larger stand accommodated approximately 700 seats, while the second was located at the foot of the Adán Martín Tenerife Auditorium.
The situation grew tense around the Ermita de Regla. From 5:00 am, nearly half the stand was already filled with people without invitations, who preferred to arrive early to secure their spot. By about 8:30 am, security staff arrived and stopped further public access, although nearly half of the 700 seats were occupied by early risers eager to enjoy the Armed Forces Day.
After 9:00 am, tensions increased as the first official guests arrived to find their seats occupied by individuals without invitations. This prompted the Municipal Corporation to send some trusted personnel to persuade those occupying the 700-seat stand, known as the Ermita de Regla stand, to vacate the area.
A Confrontation
This led to confrontations and a firm refusal from those first attendees to leave. By 10:00 am, the scene was a mixture of guests with and without invitations occupying two-thirds of the seating area. The recommended arrival time for official guests was half-past ten, for both the Ermita de Regla stand and the one referred to as the auditorium stand.
The designated area along Santa Cruz’s penetration avenue was reserved for City Council guests, featuring roughly 1,000 seats distributed as 720 at the Ermita de Regla stand and 300 in the auditorium. As a side note, the search for shade caused some movement among the audience.
Initially, official guests, even those without formal invitation cards, settled near the chapel as it benefited from the shade cast by the auditorium’s peak. As the morning progressed, the shade shifted towards the stand nearer to the auditorium, leading attendees to follow suit.
Currently, the main concern is managing how to resolve the stand occupancy if the uninvited attendees do not vacate, especially if it exceeds capacity. Municipal sources acknowledged having allowed for some margin to accommodate unexpected additional guests.
Subscribe for more updates.
