Ten Years Without a Problem, Then Madrid Says No to Moroccan Artisans’ Fair

Madrid City Council has refused to authorize the craft fair organized since 2016 by the Hispano-Arab Association for Development and Culture. This solidarity market was to welcome artisans from Morocco as part of the “Between Cultures 2026” Interculturality Days.

The event had occupied several squares in central Madrid over the past decade. Its three previous editions had taken place in Juan Goytisolo Square, without any reported difficulties.

The association began the administrative procedures in April. It says it submitted the documents requested by the Centro district, including civil liability insurance required on July 22 in order to continue processing the application.

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The equipment, structures and goods needed for the fair had even arrived from Morocco as early as July 20. Yet, on August 18, the association learned by telephone that the event would not be authorized, reports Cadena SER.

A decision made after the Ceuta crisis

The written justification did not arrive until September 8. The city council explained that it had adopted new criteria for the use of public squares in central Madrid. These provide that events taking the form of markets or fairs will no longer be authorized, in order to prioritize non-commercial activities.

For Rachid Ismaili, president of the association, the timing of the decision raises questions. The refusal was communicated a few weeks after the mass crossings recorded in Ceuta at the end of July, while the administration was still asking organizers for documents before that crisis.

“At the moment, everything that smells of Morocco must be banned,” he denounces. The association accuses the city council of discrimination and calls for the new rules to be applied transparently to all organizers.

The Socialist group on the municipal council shares these concerns. Its councilor Antonio Giraldo considers the refusal to appear arbitrary and will request explanations at the next meeting of the Centro district. In particular, he wants to know whether the same criteria will lead Madrid to eliminate the other fairs and markets held in the city center, including Christmas ones.

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The city council officially establishes no link between its decision and tensions with Morocco. The proximity between the refusal and the Ceuta crisis therefore remains a suspicion expressed by the association and the municipal opposition.

For Moroccan artisans, the consequences are already tangible. Expenses had been incurred for transportation, insurance, installations and the shipment of goods. After ten years of presence in Madrid, the fair will not be able to open in 2026.