Glenn Wickman
DESPERATE attempts by Valencia city hall to keep the exact schedule of the Kings parade on Tuesday (January 5) evening secret to prevent crowds – in a bid to curb COVID-19 infection rates- ultimately proved futile.
The time of the procession was deliberately withheld to avoid the usual gathering of masses of people by the side of the road to watch the Spanish equivalent of Father Christmas pass by on camels, boats, tractors and almost any other form of transport imaginable, depending on the characteristics of each town and city.
However, what municipal authorities failed to predict was that the mere closure to traffic around the Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 19.00 hrs on Tuesday evening would alert passers-by that the procession was about to begin.
The obvious preparations drew an estimated 1,500 people to gather at the barriers being erected around the square, with social distancing going out the window.
Moments later, The Three Wise Men made their entrance, on this occasion riding on open-topped buses and waving to the enthusiastic throng.
All this on the same day that regional president Ximo Puig announced a new set of restrictions – as reported by The Olive Press – to clamp down on the worst figures of new COVID infections and deaths since March.
As expected, the scene has sparked a crossfire of accusations among the regional and local executives and the opposition – including widening the ever-looming chasm between joint governing parties in the Generalitat, PSPV and Compromis.
An ad-hoc decree had been passed to determine the procedure for the processions throughout the region, encouraging viewers to watch from their balconies and windows instead of from the street.
However, the document failed to outline what to do in a situation such as the one that took place in the capital city.
