The Vox councilor in the Mérida City Council, Francisco Piñol, has asked that the LGTBI flag placed on the side of the municipal balcony where it is installed on the occasion of LGTBi pride week be removed, considering that this “breaks the law” . In the course of his address at the municipal plenary session held this Thursday, he predicted that this type of breach could lead to “the flag of pedophiles” being hung on the building as well.

In the question and answer section, and within the first ordinary plenary session of the Emeritense consistory of this legislature, Piñol, who is a retired doctor and was making his debut in office, has indicated that his request corresponds, as he has said, “to what that says the Supreme Court and the Constitution” that in their assessment prohibit the placement of flags that are not official in public buildings.

In addition, the Vox mayor has recalled that he is the oldest councilor in the corporation and has stressed that he already has grandchildren, while most of the other mayors have children. “I say that – he specified – because if we continue breaking the law, tomorrow we will see the flag of pedophiles and our children, my grandchildren, may be involved in that.” In addition, as I request, he has requested that the General Secretariat of the City Council prepare a report detailing the characteristics of the Flag Law.

In his speech, the mayor Antonio Rodríguez Osuna (PSOE), who governs with an absolute majority, replied that “one who is older does not know more” than the others and explained that what these regulations establish is that they cannot be replace the official flags with others, for which he has accused the Vox mayor of “misrepresenting” the Supreme Court ruling.

In this sense, it has given examples of placing this type of banner throughout the year in the town hall in numerous celebrations that take place in the city, such as Easter, the Classic Theater Festival or Alzheimer’s Day, without having to account any type of beliefs, and has added that this is “something perfectly legal and democratic”.

Rodríguez Osuna has accused Vox representatives of “misrepresenting” a Supreme Court ruling, which states that institutional flags cannot be replaced in public buildings. Thus, he has stressed that the flags of Extremadura and Europe are always placed in the City Hall, “although many do not believe in Europe or in the Autonomous Communities”, in addition to the city’s flag being present, as established by Law.

Francisco Piñol Sala is number 2 of Vox in the Mérida City Council, having obtained this training for two councilors in the municipal elections of 28-M.

During these days, the flag of the LGTBI collective has been installed, both on the facade of the City Hall and on some municipal buildings, as well as the flagpole of one of the main roundabouts in the city.

The Fundación Triángulo Extremadura will forward the statements made by Francisco Piñol to the Badajoz Hate Crimes Prosecutor’s Office. This association has demanded a public apology from the Vox councilor and has advanced that it will take legal action against these and other statements that “violate the rights and dignity of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.”

In a press release, Fundación Triángulo regretted that the day after the LGBTI pride celebration, this emeritense mayor of Vox had called for the “withdrawal of the rainbow flags that appear on the balcony of the town hall, relating it to pedophilia and danger to minors.” .

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