The city of Zaragoza unveiled its campaign on 6 October 2026, No es no for the Fiestas del Pilar and also replaced the former Puntos Violeta with seven Espacios seguros . The new support points are to be set up in busy locations, including the Plaza del Pilar, the Recinto Ferial, the Espacio Zity, with Estación del Norte, the Jardín de Invierno, the Fiesta Viral Light and the food-truck zone in Parque San Pablo. According to the city, the planned support hours total 186.5.
The change broadens the remit of the support points. Alongside preventing and providing advice on sexist attacks and sexual violence, the Espacios seguros will also offer help with other risks, such as violence linked to identity, problems associated with substance use, difficult sexual situations or dangers caused by drink-driving. The councillor responsible for social policy, Marian Orós (Partido Popular), said the campaign continues a prevention policy that has been in place since 2021 and is recognisable to the public.
The change of direction is politically contentious. The PSOE recalls that Spain’s Ministry of Equality intended the campaigns to focus clearly on gender-based violence and is calling for the return of specialist Puntos Violeta. Zaragoza en Común warns that the new Espacios seguros reduce the number and availability of the support points and could weaken specialist assistance for victims. Both opposition groups also criticise the move as continuing a dilution of the campaign’s purpose imposed by Vox.
The city administration defends the reform as a broader safety offer for a major urban festival, citing accompanying measures such as awareness-raising, training for staff at venues and cooperation with emergency services and taxi companies. No independent assessments of the new format’s effectiveness are yet available. Motions have been announced in the city council to evaluate the implementation and results of the Espacios seguros after the festival.
The confirmed facts, such as numbers, locations and opening hours, are based on information published by the city on 6 October 2026. The political assessments and criticism come from the PSOE and Zaragoza en Común. The slogan No es no remains a central part of the city’s prevention messaging for the Fiestas del Pilar, while the remit of the support points is being extended beyond gender-based violence.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).