Despite 4 deaths, Brugada rules out banning celebrations at Ángel de la Independencia; asks fans to celebrate elsewhere
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Mexico City's mayor, Clara Brugada, will not ban celebrations at the Ángel de la Independencia despite four deaths during post-match festivities.
- Brugada stated that the Ángel is a symbol of celebration and banning festivities there would not solve the underlying problem.
- She urged fans to celebrate in other, safer locations within the city instead of concentrating in one area.
Mexico City's mayor, Clara Brugada, has decided against prohibiting public celebrations at the iconic Ángel de la Independencia, even after four people died during festivities following the Mexico-Ecuador match. Brugada asserted that the monument is a symbol of celebration and that banning gatherings there would not address the root causes of such tragedies.
"The Ángel is a symbol of party, of celebration, after every important moment, especially after sporting events and even more so in the World Cup," Brugada stated at a press conference. "So, this means that we cannot say: there will be no more celebrations in the World Cup, because this happens naturally and there will always be thousands and thousands celebrating in that place."
The Ángel is a symbol of party, of celebration, after every important moment, especially after sporting events and even more so in the World Cup. So, this means that we cannot say: there will be no more celebrations in the World Cup, because this happens naturally and there will always be thousands and thousands celebrating in that place.
When questioned about measures for future matches, the mayor indicated that installing barriers along Paseo de la Reforma to control crowds would not be an effective solution. Instead, she reiterated her call for the public to choose alternative, safer venues for celebrations across the city.
Brugada emphasized the need for fans to be aware of other safe spaces available for celebrating, rather than converging solely on the Paseo de la Reforma. The decision comes as the city grapples with managing large public gatherings after sporting events, aiming to balance public expression with safety concerns.
Putting up barriers when crowds arrive is sometimes not the best approach, so we have to see how the entire population that is around the celebration, not around, nearby, but that is, that wants to celebrate, knows that there are more places where they can do it safely and not in just one space.
Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.