Weekender Alicante North Issue 108

14 FRIDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2019
www.weekender.news
Local&WhatsOn Benidorm
Benidorm Pride pulls in the crowds
ORGANISERS of last week’s
Benidorm Pride Festival,
hailed the event as a huge
success, despite being
forced to change venues
for their parties, re-route
the popular Saturday parade
and battle unseasonal
weather conditions.
Estimated figures, suggest
that significantly more than
the expected 15,000 extra
visitors attended the event,
leaving many attendees disappointed
at not being able
to access the overflowing gay
bars in the heart of Benidorm
Old Town.
Ongoing roadworks on
Avenida de Mediterraneo,
meant the Pride Parade
travelled the whole length
of Levante Beach on a route
which took them through
Benidorm thief
caught red handed
A BURGLAR, who broke
into three Benidorm in a
single robbing spree was
apprehended by National
Police officers, who linked
his blood soaked hands
to similar stains found at
the premises.
The agents were alerted
by an emergency call from
by Andy Mansell
the main shopping and restaurant
area of the resort,
which was packed with onlookers,
eager to catch a
view of the outrageous floats
and flamboyant costumes.
In addition, two of the
scheduled parties, which
traditionally take place at
the Mirador de Castello,
were moved to the Auditorio
de Oscar Esplai, behind the
town hall building.
The new venue for the
Opening event, Closing
party and Black and White
Party, was praised for its
superior acoustic qualities
and tiered seating, by those
who attended.
This year’s festival drew
massive publicity from
Benidorm doorman shot by Brit
by Andy Mansell
an employee of a bar, who
claimed that a young man
was attempting to break into
an adjoining establishment.
When they arrived at the
scene, the witness informed
the officers that the thief
had fled the premises once
National Police officers formed a fence around the
immediate area
Spanish TV, media and online
sites, which reported the
events widely.
A video of the Friday afternoon
‘Carrer de Tacones’,
high heel drag race, went
viral, with the hilarious
footage of the contestants
running up and down Calle
Alameda, picking up close to
half a million views.
Despite being threatened
by heavy rainstorms earlier
in the day, the parade and
subsequent party in the Auditorio
Julio Iglesias, packed
with thousands of revellers,
was reported on the Spanish
National evening news
bulletins, emphasising its
importance on the countries
LGBTQ calendar.
Benidorm Pride will celebrate
its tenth anniversary in
POLICE in Benidorm have
apprehended a forty-sixyear
old British man suspected
of shooting a discotheque
doorman in the
leg with a firearm, during
the early hours of last
Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred
outside a club, popular with
British holidaymakers and
locals, situated in the busy
‘Guiri Zone’ of the resort’s
Rincon de Loix area, known
locally as the English Square.
Witnesses to the attack
told the Spanish Press that
two drunken men, tried to
gain entry to the venue, but
were refused entry by one of
the establishment’s security
staff, owing to their state
of inebriation.
Despite their protestations,
the doorman continued
to deny them access to
the premises, until the pair
eventually left the venue.
However, a few minutes
later, one of the drunken
men returned in a vehicle,
which he parked directly
outside the discotheque.
On leaving the car, the
suspect pulled a handgun,
before firing three shots in
the direction of the doorman,
who was still working outside
the premises.
One of the gunshots hit
the staff member in the calf,
but although, wounded by
the bullet, the doorman was
able to chase after the man,
who had returned to the vehicle
before speeding away
from the scene.
The victim, a thirty-sixyear
old Romanian national,
located a Local Police patrol
car parked nearby and informed
the officers inside
about the attack.
A general alert to all units
in the area was issued to apprehend
the vehicle used by
the assailant.
The suspect was stopped
as he drove along Avenidea
Amettla del Mar, leaving
the resort.
On searching the vehicle,
the arresting officers, uncovered
a weapon and ammunition,
matching the description
of those used in the attack.
The British suspect was
arrested and is expected to
appear in court later this
week, whilst the victim was
taken to hospital for treatment
to his leg wound.
he heard the police vehicles
sirens.
Other officers were alerted
to create a fence around
the immediate area, whilst
the adjacent premises were
searched for evidence of
breaking and entering.
The investigation uncovered
evidence that two of the
three bars had been entered
under force and the protagonist
had injured themselves
in the process, leaving
a trail of blood inside
the premises.
A man, matching the description
given by the witness,
carrying wounds to his
hands, was quickly detained
by other officers.
The detainee, a Romanian
national, aged twenty years
old, was placed at the disposal
of the Courts of the Guard
of Benidorm, charged with a
crime of robbery with force.
2020 and co-organiser Geoff
Gartland is promising more
changes to make it bigger
than ever.
“Our Pride Festival has
grown every year, with more
and more people wanting to
attend and we already have
some great plans to celebrate
our tenth year,” he said.
The Pride parade was reported on Spanish National TV news bulletins
“But first we’ll take a
rest and reflect on the success
of this year’s event
and work out where we can
make improvements.”