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The PSP of Braga appealed this Sunday that the Nicolinas festivities, which are traditionally celebrated in Guimarães from tonight, “be celebrated at home”, this after having registered an “abnormal concentration” in the center of the city this morning .
“We call on all citizens to adopt a civic and responsible behavior, and that, according to the organization’s advice, this year the Nicoline Festivals are held at home,” read a statement from the PSP Braga District Command .
At stake are the Nicolinas, festivals associated with the cult of São Nicolau that are organized by students from Guimarães in secondary education and take place for about a week, but which usually have their climax on Sunday night with the Pinheiro parade. that takes thousands of people to the streets to play boxes and drums.
[Vídeo do início das Festas Nicolinas de 2020, publicado pelo Diário do Minho]
This year, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the festivities are developed differently than usual and without the traditional procession, but in a statement with the title “Concentration of people in the Praça da Oliveira – Guimarães – Festas Nicolinas” , broadcast around 6 pm, PSP de Braga describes that “today, mid-morning” verified “an abnormal concentration of people in the vicinity of the historic center of Guimarães [no distrito de Braga], with the usual drums and nicolino suits ”.
“This concentration is only usual on this ‘Day of the Pine’ during the afternoon and at night, having occurred in the morning, unexpectedly. Before 1:00 p.m., when traffic on public roads was banned, due to the current state of emergency, citizens could be dispersed, avoiding intervention by force, with always unpredictable results “, describes the PSP of Braga .
The same police force guarantees that “it will adopt the necessary preventive measures so that gatherings of a size and nature similar to that of Guimarães do not take place” and reinforces the call for the parties to be held at home.
The videos and photographs that circulate on social networks, published in the morning or with references to hours before 1:00 p.m., show groups of people gathered to play the cajon and the bass drum in the historic center of Guimarães.
The Lusa agency contacted the Nicolinas Party Commission, which guaranteed that “it did not promote gatherings” and took the opportunity to reinforce the call for people to stay home on Sunday night.
“What happened in [Praça da] Oliveira and the Monument [escultura do artista plástico José de Guimarães que fica junto ao local onde é tradicionalmente enterrado o pinheiro após o cortejo] it was not promoted by us. It was voluntary and spontaneous. We have been asking Pinheiro to celebrate at home with boxes and drums drumming in the window or on the balcony, ”said Nicolinas Party Commission President André Alves, who is a 12th-year student at the Escola Secundária. Francisco from Holland.
Also the president of the Association of Former Students of the Liceu de Guimarães (AAELG), José Ribeiro, 73 years old and former student of the now called Escola Secundária Martins Sarmento, formerly “Liceu de Guimarães”, which is the educational establishment where the Fiestas were born . Nicolinas, reinforced the appeal.
“I gave my face to the appeal to keep everyone at home. Today, when I heard that groups had gathered, I went around the city to ask them not to. If the square was full, it was certainly spontaneous. This year is atypical and this is very difficult for the Nicolines, for all the people of Guimarães, who live the tradition. But bypassing the rules or ignoring what’s going on [referindo-se à pandemia da covid-19] it is not part of our spirit ”, said José Ribeiro, to Lusa.
Already on the page of the Chamber of Guimarães, on Facebook, to follow a video where former and current students of the city make a call for people to stay at home, it reads: “Nicolino’s spirit feels different, already that the Pinheiro procession does not take place due to the situation of the pandemic. Tonight we celebrate the Night of the Pine in the windows and balconies of our houses ”.
The video is promoted by the Associação dos Velhos Nicolinos, the Nicoline Party Commission and the Association of the Nicoline Party Commission, with the support of the Municipality of Guimarães.
Portugal represents at least 4,427 deaths associated with covid-19 in 294,799 confirmed cases of infection, according to the latest bulletin from the Directorate General of Health (DGS).
The country is in a state of emergency from November 9 to December 8, a period during which there is a mandatory curfew in the counties with the highest risk of contagion, including Guimarães.
During the week, the curfew must be respected between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., while on weekends and holidays, circulation is limited between 1 p.m. on Saturday and 5 a.m. on Sunday, and between 1 p.m. on Sunday. and 5:00 a.m. Monday.
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