ALICANTE – Residents of the centre of Alicante have posted a video to make other residents of the city and the authorities aware of what they have to endure daily. According to them, the images show the degradation that this part of the city has undergone.
It has been enough for the inhabitants of the old town. Almost every night they face problems of noise, dirt, vandalism, fights and drug use in the Ereta and Santa Cruz parks area.
Self-recorded images of nuisance
According to them the municipality is not doing anything. Consequently, they have decided to put a video on YouTube (see below). Here, they include everything they have recorded from the balconies of their homes over the past few months. They do it, they say, to make other inhabitants of Alicante aware of what they have to endure every day. Moreover, they want others to realise this historic part of their city is in danger unless urgent action is taken.
Degradation of the historic centre
“Degradation of the old town of Alicante” has been published on a channel created specifically for the occasion. In the video, among other things, you will see young people holding ‘botellones’ (celebrating parties on the street with their alcohol), jumping over the fences of the Ereta Park, throwing up, sniffing drugs on the street in broad daylight or full view of everyone have sex.
The images also show the results of these endless days and nights of celebration. People lie on the street sleeping off their intoxication, demolished furniture, damaged facades and enormous amounts of dirt and waste.
Vandalism and lack of maintenance
There is also a tour of several iconic points in the area to show their condition due to the various acts of vandalism and lack of municipal maintenance. Then they show what these areas would look like if they were refurbished to become tourist attractions again.
According to the president of the Benacantil neighbourhood, Joaquín Gangoso, this shocking Alicante video was necessary. It was important to make people and our politicians aware of the situation that suffers practically from Monday to Sunday. According to him, this also has consequences for new shops and tourist establishments that moved into the area recently.
More than 400 complaints were submitted without a result
Gangoso added that in the past six months, residents have filed more than 400 complaints with the city council and have written up to seven requests to meet with the mayor. They have not yet received a response to this. It remains silent. Also, many reports made to the local police are ignored.
Residents want the local police to launch a campaign to check and update all isolation and music permits for bars and clubs. Many have been there for more than 20 years, so they no longer comply with current regulations in those areas.
