Municipalities in the Valencia region where a curfew is in place again, call for reinforcements in the enforcement of the measure. Benidorm also wants police reinforcements, to break up the ‘botellones’ in particular.
From Monday, nearly half of the municipalities in the Valencia region will again be subject to a three-week curfew. This has caused some nervousness among the various authorities in places that do not have curfews. They are afraid citizens from neighbouring municipalities with curfews will continue their nightly parties in their village or city, with all the negative consequences for their own health situation.
Outrage in Javea
One of the municipalities most clearly expressing its outrage is Javea in the Marina Alta region. The municipality has also requested a curfew as a measure from the regional government. This they say is for ‘both for health reasons and with the maintenance of public order as an argument’.
Over the past few weeks, Javea has been constantly dealing with private parties. Dozens of young people gather for botellones in public spaces such as the beach and city squares. According to a spokesperson for the municipality, the local police are short of people to enforce everywhere. That is why the municipality requested a solution from the Generalitat and also from the delegation of the national government. That solution could also consist of setting a curfew or reinforcement for the police.
According to the municipality of Javea, it is extremely important measures are aligned geographically. Without perimeter closures, people in a municipality with curfews simply move to a municipality where they can party through the night.
From Monday, the curfew from 1 to 6 a.m. will apply in 77 municipalities with more than 5,000 inhabitants in the Valencia region. Until then, there are still 32 areas with curfew.
