They open an investigation in the Palma City Council for the Pride controversy

PalmaThe Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the Palma City Council following a complaint filed by Ben Amics, which accuses the Consistory of violating fundamental rights due to the repeated difficulties that, according to the entity, it has placed in organizing the Pride events.

The organization assures that the problems date back to 2024 and that, for three years, it has been forced to prepare the festival "with increasingly tight deadlines", to the point that this year's situation has ended up forcing the cancellation of the event. "For three years, we have found ourselves working with less and less time to organize and execute the Pride festival and we reach the limit of forcing the cancellation of this year's festival," they explained.

The tension between Ben Amics and Cort intensified last month with an exchange of public reproaches. The conflict culminated when the City Council announced the organization of a parallel festival, disconnected from Ben Amics, an entity that has historically driven Pride activities in Palma. Faced with this situation, the association decided to move the main celebration to the Part Forana.

Now, the opening of the file by the Defender of the Citizen supposes a new chapter in the conflict. Ben Amics considers that this decision confirms that what they have denounced for years "was not simple neglect", but a way to limit their participation and their rights. The entity also maintains that "both the Councilor for Equality and the Director General were aware at all times of what was happening and did not act in any way".

According to the association, since 2024, the presentation of public space occupation applications necessary to celebrate Pride has been brought forward more and more, but this has not resulted in a more agile resolution of the procedures. It recalls that two years ago the request was registered in April and that, on June 27, the City Council still did not have the essential reports to guarantee the electrical installation.

Last year, the procedure began at the end of February, but the festival was not declared of municipal interest until five days before its celebration and the authorization for public space occupation did not arrive until June 25.

For all these reasons, Ben Amics hopes that the Ombudsman's file will help clarify where the administrative obstacles have occurred that, according to the complaint, have hindered the organization of Pride celebrations in recent years.

"What happened this year has only been the final flourish of a series of chronic impediments by the City Council. We have always tried to move forward, as co-organizers, with the planned activities, even if it was with little time or without the necessary involvement of Cort," indicate sources from the entity. Ben Amics also criticizes that the City Council "reduces Pride to a tourist festival" and considers that this vision "strips June 28th of the visibility and vindication that give meaning to this commemoration".