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Participants in the protest held on Sunday at the gates of Tivoli in Benalmádena L. Cádiz
Hundreds protest at gates of iconic Tivoli amusement park demanding its reopening
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Hundreds protest at gates of iconic Tivoli amusement park demanding its reopening

Locals from Benalmádena, together with residents from other Costa del Sol and Malaga province towns called for an end to its four-year closure

Lorena Cádiz

Benalmádena

Monday, 7 October 2024, 10:01

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Hundreds have gathered outside the Tivoli amusement park in Benalmádena in the first public demonstration demanding the reopening of the site, which has now been closed for four years.

One of the protesters who gathered outside the park gates on Sunday 6 October was Carlota, accompanied by her two young children. Next to her, her mother Mari Carmen, who still remembers in detail the day the amusement park opened. She was born in Malaga and after she got married went to live in Benalmádena. She has raised her children there and said Tivoli had become part of her life. "It is very important for us, I have brought my children here many times and now I want to bring my grandchildren," said Mari Carmen.

Despite the sun and warm temperatures, hundreds of people took part in the rally and shouted in Spanish "¡Sí se puede!" (Yes, we can) to the tune of Tivoli in the background, demanding an end to the four-year closure. "Today there are people from all generations here, we even have 98 year olds. Many generations who have passed through Tivoli and many others who we want to be able to live what we have lived through," said a former worker at the site, Juan Carmona.

Both he and other former workers were grateful at the public's support, not only in this rally, but also with constant donations of cleaning products, water and food for the animals. "There is nothing abandoned here, we continue to work here and we have been working for 1,480 days," they said.

Guillermo is a young musician who composes under the stage name Yelo. He has just released a song in which he mentions Tivoli in his lyrics. It was never in doubt to him that he would attend the demonstration on Sunday. "I'm here to fight for its reopening, I have thousands of memories on the Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the merry-go-round and all the rides. I want to experience it again and I want my little cousin to experience it with me," he said.

A collective memory

"It's a memory that all of us from Malaga have in common, I don't want the next generations to miss it. As a teacher, I would love to bring my students to create the memories that we were able to create," pointed out Esther.

Meanwhile, Juan Manuel is a former worker at the park, where he spent 35 years of his life. "It's a shame that Tivoli, with what it gives to the town and what the people who come here to enjoy, which makes us known all over the world, is closed," he said. His daughter Rocío joined him in the protest: "Tivoli is my childhood. I couldn't wait for the summer to come, to ride the rides, I knew all the show times. Now what we want is for it to reopen and for future generations to experience the great moments and have the memories I have".

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