• San Isidro Ifema postpones the inauguration of San Isidro in its facilities

  • Madrid The PSOE radicalizes its speech at City Hall and votes against giving the Madrid medal to Ana Botella

The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, faces this Saturday the second San Isidro of his mandate, a festivity somewhat different from last year, with the country in full confinement due to the

coronavirus

pandemic

, since in this edition of In 2021 some of the hallmarks of the capital's big party are taken up, albeit timidly, by its patron.

There will be concerts, with limited capacity, perimeters and security measures, and the City Medals will also be awarded, which will bring together former Madrid mayors

Ana Botella and Manuela Carmena

, as well as Madrid's president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso , the former president José María Aznar, and the leader of the PP, Pablo Casado.

The day started at 9:30 am with the raising of the national flag in the Plaza de Colón, which will be attended by the Minister of Defense,

Margarita Robles

; the councilor, the deputy mayor,

Begoña Villacís

, as well as the spokespersons for the different municipal groups, Rita Maestre (Más Madrid), Pepu Hernández (PSOE) and Javier Ortega Smith (Vox). Then, at 10 am, a tribute was paid to the victims of the pandemic with an offering in the cauldron that permanently remembers them in the Plaza de Cibeles. In the old Telecommunications Palace, in the Crystal Gallery, the Madrid Medals will be imposed.

The PSOE voted 'no' for former mayor Ana Botella (PP) to receive the city's medal of honor because, in the words of the deputy spokesperson in the municipal group,

Mar Espinar

, it is "an institutional outrage", with the sale of public housing to a vulture background as a backdrop.

Vox, for its part, questions the medal of honor to former mayor Manuela Carmena (Now Madrid) and abstained in the block vote.

Its spokesperson,

Javier Ortega Smith

, even declared in plenary session that Carmena was "a mayor who created confrontation and division" by "offending the head of state", "promoting squatting and political bars of her sectarian ideology."

The Gold Medals of the capital will also be awarded, which will go to the president of the Board of Trustees of the Teatro Real, Gregorio Marañón;

the writer Andrés Trapiello, the singer

José Ramón Martínez Márquez, Ramoncín

, and the José María de Llanos Foundation.

Decorated athlete

For their part, the sportswoman

Virginia Torrecilla

, the Daughters of Charity (soup kitchen on Calle General Martínez Campos, and the taxi driver Matías Martínez Olmo

will be deserving of the city's Silver Medal

.

Since the programming for these festivities of San Isidro became known, the messages from both Almeida and Villacís have been constant so that Madrilenians enjoy the patron saint's festival "with prudence", complying with the established rules so that

the infections by the virus

.

The town crier himself,

Santiago Segura

, made an appeal from the balcony of the Casa de la Villa, for the people of Madrid to make a bottle "with hydroalcoholic gel and masks."

"Let's not screw it up now," he pointed out to the few congregants, the majority essential staff of the Consistory.

And to ensure the safety of the people of Madrid and the proper compliance with the rules, a "historic" Police device has been established between the City Council and the Government Delegation.

It is a

special operation of 1,100

national

agents

from various units, including the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) or the Cavalry Unit.

The agents will be very present in the Pradera de San Isidro, Las Vistillas, Usera, Pradolongo, the center of the capital, in the Vistalegre bullring - since a bullfight is scheduled in which 6,000 attendees are expected - or in the surroundings of Ifema, where

different artistic and cultural activities will

be held

with limited capacity

.

National and municipal agents will not only monitor the crowds and bottles before the first full weekend without a curfew or state of alarm and for the events scheduled for the San Isidro festivities, they will

also control the demonstrations

planned for this weekend.

In total, according to data provided to Europa Press by the Government Delegation, there are

23 demonstrations, concentrations or events reported

.

Among the most important, the

protests in support of Palestine

, which will run from Atocha to Sol at noon;

against the violation of Human Rights in Colombia, from 5 pm between Puerta de Alcalá and Plaza de España;

and the rally for the tenth anniversary of the 15M in Puerta del Sol also tomorrow between 6.30 pm and 10 pm.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Madrid

  • San Isidro

  • Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida

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