Chanting “injustice” and “no to the closure”, vendors from the Santa Cruz Rastro demonstrated yesterday outside the City Hall in the capital, where a municipal control commission was convened, to express their disapproval of the decree issued by the council the day before, which mandated the suspension of their sales activities in the area adjacent to the Nuestra Señora de África market starting this Sunday. This decision, as reported by DIARIO DE AVISOS, was justified by technical and police reports indicating “repeated non-compliance” with local regulations and “illegality” in several operations being conducted in this popular site.
The closing of the Flea Market was coupled with a suggestion to relocate it to the esplanade on Marítima Avenue, opposite the Treasury Delegation, where it had been established when Covid struck, a proposal that the traders also rejected. Nevertheless, the protest bore results, and by the end of the evening, following a meeting between market representatives and the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, the Councilor for Public Services, Carlos Tarife, along with members of the Local Police and the site management company, an agreement was reached. The City Council will maintain the market’s operations until January 6, and should non-compliance with the regulations continue beyond this date, the activities will be halted immediately alongside a corresponding relocation.
Carmen Tejera, the president of the Rastro Association, had characterised the city council’s decision as “unfair” just hours earlier, stating that “it was without prior notification.” In her view, “we cannot all be penalised for the actions of a few, especially due to a situation instigated by Tarife, who indicated during his electoral campaign that he wished to relocate the Rastro for local interests.”
Tejera remarked that “the Rastro is secure and adheres to the regulations, yet they wish to treat us with contempt as if we are a criminal organisation. The situation is truly unfortunate because we have supported more than 3,500 members for 35 years, and now, without any notice, 412 families find themselves without income just as the Christmas season approaches, which means many will struggle to provide for their children.”
The spokesperson, alongside vendors who gathered to protest at City Hall, asserted that “the claim that the Rastro is unsafe is untrue. El Rastro is secure. There is a company responsible for the Self-Protection Plan which must fulfil its duties, just as the local police are expected to do. However, the threat of closure has been looming for quite some time, and we must not forget that we have a court ruling that supports the current site of the Rastro next to the Recova,” she explained.
In this context, Tejera added, “out of 800 vendors, only 412 remain with licenses. We are compliant, and all arguments presented against us are false. El Rastro is a tradition, and many families rely on it for their livelihoods.”
The council will move it to a new location starting from Three Kings Day
The representatives of the Rastro have pledged to the city council to strictly adhere to the regulations governing the market, the non-compliance of which has occurred repeatedly, as indicated by police reports and assessments from the organisation managing the space surrounding the market. Thus, this Sunday, the activity suspension will proceed as planned, following the signing of a decree, with the market expected to resume its operations on the 24th in its original site, ensuring that if non-compliance persists, the relocation will occur sooner in January.
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, stated, “the council will not tolerate any further non-compliance. Vendors must display their licences visibly, each merchant must occupy their assigned spot on the location map, and all 412 authorised vendors must adhere to security protocols and schedules.” The mayor and councilor Carlos Tarife began discussions with the merchants to monitor compliance with this agreement on a weekly basis. Once Three Kings Day has concluded, the Rastro will be moved to a new site that enhances its operational conditions.
