Kúpula se Mueve, which celebrates African and Latin culture, has been held without problems since 2013
Madrid city council has banned a festival celebrating cultural diversity, claiming that it may lead to public disorder and complaints about noise from residents.
The Kúpula se Mueve (Kúpula Moves) festival has been held without incident since 2013. Josias Ndanga, president of the association, insists the claims are an excuse, saying: “We’re convinced we’re being discriminated against on ideological grounds.”
The move comes just days after the conservative local authority in Jumilla in south-east Spain banned Muslims from using public facilities to celebrate religious festivals, a decision that has been widely condemned by political opponents, Muslim organisations and the Catholic church.
Kúpula sought permission to hold the festival in three separate locations but on each occasion the application was refused despite the fact that, according to Ndanga, they went through all the appropriate channels and met the necessary requirements.
