The municipal official responded to questions about the judicial case challenging the location of the firework displays and has, for now, ruled out public alternatives for the competition. She stated that it is a shame that the city's left wants to end the Luceros mascletás, by appearing before the city's official festivities.
“"We remind you that the mascletás are included within the BIC and therefore must be protected."
After being re-questioned about the litigating entity being a civil association that defends heritage, with no manifest political ties, the councillor added that it is well known that several left-wing groups support the statements made by Salvem el Patrimoni, and they know who they are.
The municipal official further hardened her discourse by stating that the left systematically wants to destroy not only the Hogueras de Alicante, but also Holy Week; and this is one more example that they are against everything that has to do with the good of the city: with commerce, with hospitality, with the initiatives carried out by Alicante, its citizens, and the official festivities to preserve something that has been included in the BIC.
The councillor's statement comes amidst the judicial process of a case that remains open against the location of the mascletás next to the Luceros fountain. The hearing scheduled to listen to experts and specialists has been postponed until May 26, after the Federació de les Fogueres de Sant Joan joined the procedure alongside the City Council.
The platform Salvem el Nostre Patrimoni criticizes that this incorporation occurred late and poorly, interpreting it as a move that prolongs a dispute that has already been ongoing for several years. This is precisely when the city's last contentious-administrative court has been the only one to allow experts and professionals presented by the defense to be heard.
Despite the political tone used by the councillor, Salvem el Nostre Patrimoni's position remains different. According to the entity, its action does not aim to end the mascletás or go against the festivities, but rather to achieve a change of location that allows the preservation of the Luceros fountain, a work by Daniel Bañuls, cataloged as an Asset of Local Relevance. The platform maintains that its objective is to reconcile festive celebration with heritage protection and improved safety conditions in the area.
The strong defense maintained by the government team regarding the Luceros mascletás is not new. Already in June 2024, the mayor publicly stated that he did not rule out making a replica of the Luceros fountain to preserve the original by Daniel Bañuls if necessary, while rejecting moving the firework displays to another location.
This clash of approaches once again places two aspects at the center of the debate that converge in the square every June: on the one hand, the defense of the mascletás as one of the most emblematic acts of the Hogueras; on the other, the conservation of a unique monument in the city about which the appealing association perceives a continuous risk. While the City Council claims protection for the festive BIC, the plaintiff insists on moving the firework displays to protect the fountain.
