Justice paralyzes the demolition of the Póvoa de Varzim bullring

Legal victory for bullfighting in Portugal. The Póvoa de Varzim City hall claim to demolish the bullring in the Portuguese town has been suspended by the Justice, as the Porto Administrative and Fiscal Court found that the plan of the local authorities would be contrary to current legislation.

The complaint was filed by PATRIPOVE, the Association for the Defense and Consolidation of the Patrimony of Póvoa de Varzim, and drafted by the Vellozo Ferreira y Asociados law firm.

Through this popular action, PATRIPOVE wanted to defend the cultural heritage of Póvoa de Varzim by requesting the annulment of the decision of the Municipal Plenary that sought to demolish the bullfighting arena in the town. After studying the complaint, the courts have ordered the immediate suspension of the demolition tasks.

The Póvoa de Varzim bullring was built in 1949 and is part of the heritage of the Portuguese town. This action is intended not only to protect a historic building, but also the intangible heritage that this site preserves. It should not be forgotten that the Póvoa de Varzim bullring is considered the most important in the North of Portugal, so it is a building closely linked to Portuguese popular culture.

Demolishing the building to prevent its use in bullfighting and creating a multipurpose sports center is a frontal attack against that legacy, insofar as it includes the demolition of the entire bullfighting cultural heritage of Póvoa de Varzim, which is intended to be replaced by an enclosure like many others.

All the decisions of the Póvoa de Varzim city council have not been transparent. The necessity, justification and reasoning of the project have not been proven. Similarly, a rigorous and serious cost-benefit analysis has not been carried out either.

The lawsuit alleges that the City hall intentions are a violation of the integrity of the heritage, as well as a flagrant overflow of powers. In addition, the municipal government is reproached for not having the necessary legal opinions to carry out such a work and for not respecting the Municipal Master Plan that orders real estate and urban developments in the city.

It's important to remember that the demolition of the square was not part of the electoral program of the mayor, Aires Pereira, in the last municipal elections. Similarly, it is important to emphasize that the plenary vote was only supported by the PAN, a radical animalist party. The bullfighting sector has underlined in this sense that the City Hall is acting suddenly, contradicting its own government plan, moving in an opaque way to destroy a heritage of undeniable material and immaterial value that is part of memory, tradition and identity from Portugal and from Póvoa de Varzim.

History is full of similar errors that only contribute to the barbarism and devastation of our cultures. In the name of fashions or politically correct architecture, unjustified or outright illegal measures are taken that, in just a few days, destroy some of our most valuable assets. Once destroyed, that legacy is no longer recoverable. That is why more than 12,000 citizens have signed the Petition Against the Demolition of the bullring (http://peticaopublica.com/pview.aspx?pi=EN93438).

PATRIPOVE has already announced that it will not stop until this heritage of the North of Portugal is duly protected and safe from those who intend to destroy it. The ultimate goal is to ensure the conservation and preservation of this site. To this end, it has the support of Protoiro, the Portuguese Bullfighting Federation that is working with Patripove from the first time.