The municipality of Groningen is not involved in MartiniPlaza’s choice to bring a Concours Hippique to the city in December. Not even if this is at the expense of the Christmas Plaza indoor fair.
According to the municipal council, it is not up to the government to intervene in the programming of MartiniPlaza. “The management of the event hall is authorized to make choices. We are not going to do that for them,” says alderman Kirsten de Wrede (Party for the Animals).
She emphasizes that the management of MartiniPlaza has chosen eggs for its money. ,,KerstPlaza did not want to conclude a multi-year contract with MartiniPlaza. The organization of International Concours Hippique Zuidbroek is prepared to do so and has made agreements for the next five years.”
New: a Winter Paradise
The SP finds it unacceptable that accessible public entertainment such as Christmas Plaza has to make way for a Concours Hippique. The party points to the 30,000 mainly children and young people who can go to Christmas Plaza thanks to the Stadjerspas. The fair has been held here since 2005.
According to De Wrede, there is talk of a similar event at another location. “We are thinking of a winter paradise with an ice rink and funfair-like attractions during the Christmas period. People with a Stadjerspas can also go here.”
Prefer no animals
The Party for the Animals believes that no event with horses should be held in the municipality of Groningen. Last year, a preferential policy for events without animals was introduced in the new coalition agreement. “Because animals should be free from thirst and hunger, physical discomfort, pain and injury, fear and chronic stress. They must be free to display natural behaviour,” says PvdD councilor Wesley Pechler.
De Wrede says that the Concours Hippique is not an event organized by the municipality itself. “MartiniPlaza is about its own programming. We also do not interfere in the choice of performances by artists – with all kinds of preferences and opinions.” The PvdD alderman says that the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) judges the extent to which animal welfare is guaranteed.