Asociación Deportiva Caravaca Vera Cruz

A football team from Caravaca do up their kit just like the Sanfermin gear

The  Asociación Deportiva Caravaca Vera Cruz Sports association has a football team which plays in the XIII group of the third division league. Yesterday, they displayed their new team kit for the coming season and it has to be said that the gear could easily serve as authentic dress for the Sanfermin fiestas, without any doubt.

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The Sanfermin Peñas take stock of the fiestas

In a press release, the Peña clubs from Iruñea / Pamplona state that they have made a positive evaluation of the Sanfermin 2015 fiestas. The point to the absence of any incidents at the key events of the Txupinazo, the Procession and the Encierro of the 15th and to the positive attitude of City Hall since the recent political changes which have taken place. One such sign of a new attitude from City Hall was the official invitation of representatives of the Peñas to the opening Txupinazo event. They also underline the strong role taken by City Hall in fighting against sexist attitudes and their contribution to helping the different groups make their stance against sexist attitudes in fiestas.

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El alcalde de Pamplona Joseba Asirón en la andanada en manos del selfie de Leire Sádaba.

The Mayor of Pamplona watches the bullfights in the sun

It is normal to see the Mayor of Pamplona at the bullfights during Sanfermin, but what is not very normal is to see the Mayor of Pamplona in the ordinary stands on the sunny side of the bullring. Leire Sádaba, a journalist working at sanfermin.com, could not resist the chance to take a selfie with Joseba Asirón, the recently-elected mayor, high up in the 10th row of the stands, for our web page. And indeed, this is a rare occurrence and perhaps without precedent, to find a Mayor of Pamplona in the popular stands and away from the comforts of the official seats on the shady side of the Pamplona bullring.

Joseba Asirón had gone along to the afternoon bullfight in the company of his brother and his son to the 10th row of the stands in order to watch the bullfights like any normal citizen, with his cap and towel to protect himself from the strong rays of sun. In addition, Asirón wore the classic Peña clothing of a black overall, red sash and, of course, the classic red Sanfermin necktie.

La Federación de Peñas anuncia las nuevas pancartas para Sanfermin 2014

El humor reivindicativo y de actualidad sigue siendo el principal ingrediente en las pancartas de las Peñas de Pamplona. Críticas a Yolanda Barcina, el suceso durante el Txupinazo 2013 con la Ikurriña, Osasuna, los escándalos de la Familia Real, el Aniversario de Euskal Jai, entre otros, son los temas elegidos este año para el diseño de las pancartas de las peñas.

La Federación de Peñas ha señalado que es la primera vez que se devuelven abonos a la Meca. Aunque según informaciones de la Meca a Sanfermin.com, este año se han renovado el mismo número de abonos que el año pasado.

Además de anunciar las nuevas pancartas, la Federación de Peñas anima a que los ciudadanos luchen junto a ellos y junto a la Plataforma de Mujeres contra la Violencia Sexista y Gora Iruñea, contra las agresiones sexistas en Sanfermin. Y para ello han organizado una concentración el 2 de julio en la Plaza del Ayuntamiento a las 20:00h.

Una de las novedades desde hace varios años es que las Peñas, que antes únicamente iban a los toros y hacían sus respectivos recorridos con las charangas, promueven actividades en la calle durante el día; actividades como actuaciones musicales, comparsa, comidas populares… Esto se debe a que los jóvenes ya no tienen tanto dinero, poseen una conciencia más antitaurina y por ello buscan diferentes alternativas con las que disfrutar de los Sanfermines.

Otras actividades que promueven desde la Federación de Peñas es la conservación del baile de la Pilindros, y por primera vez, este año las peñas lanzarán un Txupinazo que iniciará el Pobre de Mí.

anaitasuna Pancarta de Oro 2014

Kontuz, awarded with the Pancarta de Oro 2014 by the Peña Anaitasuna Club

The Peña Anaitasuna Club awarded this past Saturday the Pancarta de Oro Award to Kontuz!, -the Association of Users and Consumers in recognition of the work which they have been doing. Patxi Urrutia, one of the speakers who received the award at the premises of Peña Anaitasuna, pointed out that for Kontuz! to receive this award was an “acknowledgement of the work they have been trying to carry out”.

The Pancarta de Oro Award from the Peña Anaitasuna Club, which is traditionally given out on Member’s Day, recognizes the work of individuals or groups which have stood out over the year in Navarra’s Society, which is the case of Kontuz! over this past year. Carlos Berraondo, President of the Peña Club, stressed the fact that “we ourselves, citizens of Navarra, are the very ones who must help and support these kinds of associations”.

The Peña Anaitasuna Club, over the past years have awarded the Pancarta de Oro to such people and entities as Asun Casasola, mother of the murdered Nagore Laffage, the committee behind the meals for the needy at Paris 365 or the Bokatas Association. The award consists of a plaque with a banner drawing which has been used by the Peña Club during the previous Sanfermines.

La Federación de Peñas denuncia “Despropósitos Pre Sanfermineros”

La Federación de Peñas de Pamplona ha enviado un comunicado a los medios de comunicación bajo el título “Despropósitos Pre Sanfermineros” exponiendo su opinión sobre 6 puntos que van desde el Txupinazo a las Agresiones Sexistas, pasando por la ordenanza del encierro. Puedes descargar el original, aquí.

Para este organismo, el punto más importante es el de las agresiones sexistas y llama al gobierno en el Ayuntamiento de Pamplona a cambiar su actitud. Denuncian agresiones sexistas en sanfermin como “el manoseo generalizado en el Txupinazo, la imagen del todo vale promocionada groseramente por empresas de la industria pornográfica y la imposibilidad de que la mujer participe de la fiesta sin riesgo alguno”. El comunicado concluye resumiendo, “La Federación de Peñas de Pamplona, insta de nuevo al consistorio a que se replantee la manera de entender la fiesta, y la organización de la misma, reconvirtiendo la inoperante Mesa de los Sanfermines en un órgano abierto, realmente participativo y con capacidad para encontrar soluciones a estos y otros problemas de nuestras fiestas.”

Txupinazo
La Federación de Peñas propone que sea la ciudadanía de Pamplona la que decida quién lanza el Txupinazo de Sanfermin.

Ordenanza del encierro
La Federación de Peñas participó en la Mesa del Encierro y realizó sus porpuestas y explica que se ha aprobado una ordenanza que en lugar de centrarse en la regulación lo ha hecho sobre las sanciones. Además, critica que las acciones municipales sean contradictorias con su propio criterio regulador. Piden también que la Mesa del Encierro sea permanente y se abra a otros sectores.

Programación en Plaza de los Fueros
En este punto este organismo que representa a la mayoría de peñas denuncia que se hayan producido recortes en partidas importantes para Sanfermin, como limpieza y seguridad, y se amplíe el presupuesto para la programación musicla de la plaza de los fueros. Acusan al Ayuntamiento de combatir el éxito del área festiva impulsada por Gora Iruñea.

Privatización de la Comparsa de gigantes
La Federación de peñas califica de surrealista el intento de sacar a concurso la gestión de la comparsa y proponen poner la ley a servicio del ciudadano y no al revés y encontrar fórmulas legales que permitan a la comparsa seguir como hasta el momento.

El Club Taurino de Pamplona se desmarca del documento sobre el encierro que presentaron las peñas

El Club Taurino de Pamplona ha emitido un comunicado para desmarcarse como club del apoyo de esta institución al dossier elaborado por la Comisión del Encierro de Pamplona de la Federación de Peñas para aportar ideas a la Mesa del Encierro. Ver dossier original con logotipos del Club Taurino. Y es que hemos conocido a través de la web del Club Taurino de Pamplona un documento firmado por su presidente, Juan Ignacio Ganuza, a través del cual este organismo aclara que “el Club nunca ha sido invitado, ni participado, en comisión alguna, no habiendo por tanto colaborado, como Club, en la elaboración del citado dosier, y ello sin entrar a valorar el contenido del mismo.” Ver documento original.

Según ha podido saber sanfermin.com, el origen de esta confusión ha sido que un miembro del club taurino participó activa y positivamente en la elaboración del documento y en las comisiones oportunas, y consideraba que tenía potestad para avalar el mismo. Ni el Club Taurino en asamblea de socios ni sus órganos directivos aprobaron ni tuvieron conocimiento de la aportación de este miembro y eso manifiestan públicamente, sin entrar a valorar si el dossier y las aportaciones de este miembro del club son o no positivas para el encierro.

El libro más completo de las peñas de Sanfermin

Today we have learned the details about a new book on the Peña Clubs of Pamplona which is the most comprehensive one ever printed. And one of the aims of the book is to print all the banner drawings ever made and all their authors since 1930, using some 425 photographs from a database of some 10.000 photos and in some 574 pages the book relates all the known and unknown stories of each of the Peña Clubs down the years which have been selflessly collected by all those collaborating on this project since 2010. As one of the text coordinators and a life-long member of Anaitasuna Club, Carlos Erice explains, “The book is divided in four parts. In the first part the historical background of each of the Peña clubs is narrated and this section has received the collaboration of Roldán Jimeno. In the second part, each Peña club provides details about its workings over these past years. In the third part, there will be a collection of all the banners from the past hundred years or so and the authors behind the drawings. The fourth and final section of the book takes a look at the relationship between the different clubs and their setting in the bullring and how they have been featured in the cinema down the years…”

Carlos Erice and Javier García. Co-coordinators of the text and the photography, respectively.
Carlos Erice and Javier García. Co-coordinators of the text and the photography, respectively.

Erice wished to highlight the perspective of genre with which the book has been coordinated as the equality of the sexes which is so readily found today in the Peñas did not exist in the past. In fact, this is the first complete compendium of patronesses of the Peña clubs. Endika Lakuei, a representative from the Peña Club Association points out that this press conference for the media will be repeated “for all the citizens this coming Friday at 19.30 in The Bullring, where on Saturday members day will be celebrated with exhibitions audiovisual material, and a meal will be given for all in a party atmosphere.” In addition, she stressed that this book reveals the strong vitality of the Peña Clubs down the years, a vitality which is as strong as ever today and which guarantees a long future with so many young members currently present in the different clubs. This tome will go on sale this weekend at a price of 40 euros and apart from next Monday it will go on sale in bookstores at a slighter higher price.

At the launching of the book, Javier García (from Muthiko Alaiak Peña Club) outlined the co-ordination work of the photography section. “We finally chose 425 images after receiving some 10.000 photos sent in by animated people who opened up their private collections for us. It was very important to get access to the collection of José Luis Nobel thanks to the generosity of his family. We got some great snapshots there such as a group drinking beer alongside a donkey, some skiers fully dressed up on the sunny side of the bullring, etc…”

Among some of the anecdotes which were told at the launching, there was one about how, Chicho Ibáñez Serrador encouraged the people from the Muthiko Alaiak Peña Club to take part in the national TV show 1,2,3 which was the most popular National TV show back in 1977. However, when the members heard that they had to do a parody of the running of the bulls they declined the offer. Carlos Erice pointed out with regard to this anecdote that this shows the perpetual interest of the Peña Clubs for a particular form of the running of the Bulls which was aired at the recent do’s and don’ts proposed at The Round Table of The Running of the Bulls.

Photos from (March 29)

La conquista de Navarra en Sol

The Pamplona Peña clubs once again created one of their singular fiesta scenes yesterday, on the sunny side of the bullring. They came to the bullfights dressed as historical Navarra soldiers and equipped with their helmets, swords, shields, crowns, etc. and carrying a huge array of flags, in memory of the violent annexation of Navarra which took place in 1512.

Before going to the bullring, all the Peñas gathered together in Jarauta Street and, accompanied by their brass bands and bearing a banner denouncing the violent conquest of Navarra, they then paraded through the streets to the bullring, dressed in their historical outfits and carrying flags of Navarra to attend the third day of bullfights of this year’s Sanfermin fiestas.

Once in the bullring, they unfolded a huge flag of Navarra and began to enliven the scene with their mixture of songs, music and dancing, this time immersed in the character of medieval warriors.

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More photos from the 10th of July