Several autonomous governments, including Murcia, are prepared to go to the tribunals to defend their right to disobey a central government directive restricting and limiting social activities in bars, restaurants and nocturnal clubs and bars.
The directive “obliges” bar terraces to stop serving at midnight and take up the tables and chairs by 1am. It also obliges discotheques, and other nocturnal locals, to close and for the public to leave their premises by 3am. It also demands that these establishments close interior spaces if the incidence per 100.000 inhabitants exceeds 150 cases.
The rebel regional governments claim that because the decision, taken at a virtual conference of all the autonomous communities, was not unanimous they do not have to obey it.
These regions are prepared to fight the issue in the tribunal but central government insists it is obligatory during the summer or until Spain reaches 70% of the population vaccinated in mid-August.
Murcia, Madrid, Galicia, Andalucía, Cataluña, Castilla y León, Euskadi and Melilla were the territories which abstained or voted against the agreement. The majority of these have confirmed they will disobey the new protocol.
