This Friday, the band released a statement stating that it had “closed the concert in September and the City Council already had the poster made and hung on the nets.” But yesterday, November 11, they were told that “the mayor had decided to cancel the concert” when they learned that “they sing in Valencian.”
“The explanation we received – they continue – was that, on weekends, far-right individuals appear in the village and wanted to avoid possible riots. We do not doubt what these individuals are capable of, but we find it very serious that from the institutions are given space for fear that a city council will give them power over their decisions.
We cannot help but think that those of us who take a step back are us and the language. ” At this point, they regret that “anti-fascist demonstrations or in defense of our language and culture are hyper-monitored by the police, but then there are no resources to control possible riots in a concert.”
“We will continue to sing and speak in Valencian and we hope that, in the future, the institutions that are in a situation like this will not give way to the violent far right. If we stop doing things out of fear and they can tell us how we have to talk, they have won again.
Against fascism, not a step back “, they conclude. For their part, the municipal corporation states that in the note issued by Tito Pontet “various lies and falsehoods are poured” on the mayor, Miguel Sandalinas, and the City Council of Montanejos.
The City Council states in its own statement that the municipality “had asked a show company to hire musical groups for the 25N that performed in Valencian and Spanish, not only in Valencian to have in it takes into account the reality of the municipality, which is Spanish-speaking “.
“The aim of the council – they add – was to organize an inclusive event that respects all realities, including linguistic, taking into account that the residents of the town all speak Spanish. They acted in Spanish and Valencian, and not only in Valencian, it was one of the express requests we made to the contracting company “.
They also stress that the mayor “at no time contacted the group or told them anything about the fact that on the weekends far-right individuals appear and wanted to avoid altercations.” “It’s an invention of the musical group, we don’t know for what purpose. We understand that in this way they only seek notoriety, at the expense of a town like Montanejos.
We are a place of encounter and diversity and these words of Tito Pontet are nonsense “, lament. In fact, they point out, “no head of the group has maintained contact with the City of Montanejos”, so from the council have shown their “strangeness” by the message poured on social media by Tito Pontet. Finally, the council notes that the group “was not yet formally hired”.
The mayor, of the PSPV, stresses that Montanejos “is committed to diversity, to the most diverse music and culture and a good example are all the musical and cultural events that are held during the year in the municipality”, while he portrays that “some use lies and falsehoods and invent arguments to gain prominence.”
REACTIONS Among the reactions to this controversy is that of the Minister of Education and Culture, Vicent Marzà, of Compromís, who has echoed on his Twitter profile the statement of the band with the following message: “The language in which it is sung, whatever it is, it is never the problem.
The problem is those who have no other way to live than hate by flag. Suspending culture for fear of the far right is not an option. ” The coordinator of Podem and trustee of Unidas Podem in Les Corts, Pilar Lima, also spoke. “Fascism cannot govern our way of life. Actions such as that of the mayor of Montanejos cannot be tolerated. We cannot give in to the far right. In the face of fascism, not a step back.”
