Hey gang, surely this did not make the intenational news so many of you not in Spain may not have heard about it but I wanted to start a poll on it to get some opinions.
Last week abiut 5 idiots got drunk and decided to go swimming in the FUENTE DE LA CIBELES. Well, the next thing we knew the left hand of the goddess was missing and a witness to the tragedy reported th ecar model and make to the police of those drunkards. 5 or 6 were arrested for the heinous crime and they are saying that it was an accident. Problem is that they do not know what happened to the hand (so they claim) and think that they took it and tossed it into a dumpster in the street
So, with loads of people looking for it at the local landfill where they believe the dumpster may have been emptied, we are left with the question of what to do to these punks who are all between the ages of 20 and 25.
Apparently it will cost between 25,000 and 30,000 Euros to restore the hand and while the culprits were going to have to pay for it, the Real Mardid decided to put out the cash for their goddess to recuperate her hand.
Below is a visual aid so you can see how Cibeles looks today compared to her usual glorious condition...
Many people feel that an example should be made of these houligans but no decision has yet been made as to their fate.
Ok, so the poll question is, "What should be done to punish those who lopped off her hand?"
When you think about it, it takes some force to get that hand off. It's not make of rubber or anything like that. It is made of rock.
I am hoping that the police will find the hand or if not, like you said in your post, it will be replaced. These fools do deserve some time in jail and pay for the hand. This will set an example for others who try and vandalize architecture.
What is the reaction of most Spaniards?
Shawn
"Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down" - SONG OF SOLOMON, Toni Morrison
Posts: 1255 | Location: Richmond, VA but in MADRID now | Registered: 10 February 2002
They are barbarians, vandals! Cibeles belongs not only to Madrid and Spain but to the world. If hooligans are allowed to dismember priceless statues, we will all be the losers! Remember what happened to the Pieta in Vatican City!
Even if they fix Cibeles, it will not be the same statue. I am truly sad and aghast that this has happened.
I believe that not only should these vandals make restitution for the cost of the repair, but they should be made to parade around Cibeles with a sign, I'm the savage who destroyed the hand of the Cibeles, and too drunk to remember what I did with it!
Posts: 697 | Location: Florida | Registered: 24 August 2001
For me, the worst part of all regarding this unfortunate incident is the fact that the 6-7 22 year-old "kids" who broke off the hand were NOT hooligans. They are rich kids from the fanciest suburbs in Madrid (La Moraleja was mentioned in the press). Worst of all, they dumped the hand in Vallecas and called in with a license of a car from there to try to blame it all on a working class neighbourhood. Thank goodness, they were caught anyway. I think they should definately pay for the repair, especially since their parents have plenty of money.
Typical "pijos"!!! Always getting away with murder!
Posts: 144 | Location: Chicago, USA (living in Madrid, yeah!) | Registered: 05 September 2002
I agree with you all, but I can't help but thinking that Ra�l should voluntarily pay for at least part of the repairs since he's notorious for climbing up on Cibeles against the city's wishes every time R.M. celebrates a trophy of one sort or another...
poseso.... Tony --- English Unlimited... Un ambiente para aprender ingl�s... (An English Learning Environment)
Posts: 656 | Location: Madrid (Kansas City, USA) | Registered: 06 November 2001
Hey Val, I agree with you in most part but keep in mind that "hooligans" can be of all socioeconomic backgrounds these days.
Ra�l is such a nut!
I was thinking, would a "hand for a hand" type punishment be too harsh
On a side note, as we know, the "Cibeles" statue is where the Real Madrid fans gather to await their team after they win big games but the Statue of "Neptuno" (SEE HERE) is the fountain of el "Atl�tico de Madrid".
So, what is wrong with this picture below...
... which I borowed from THIS PAGE of the official Ronaldo website
I copied the photo and put it on my server because they will surely change it when they realize their error
When I told Juan (mi marido) what happened to the had of Cibeles, he replied, "Again?" Has this happened before? He hasn't lived in Madrid for about 12 years, so it may have happened before in the 80's. Just a thought. maybe he's mistaken, no se.
Posts: 91 | Location: san diego, ca, usa | Registered: 23 May 2001
Hey laduque, when they reported all of this on the news here they mentioned that it had happened before but I am not sure of the appendage that was torn off last time nor of the particular details of the incident.
I would venture a guess that it was that wacky monkeyman Ra�l that last did in the statue but he was only about 10 yrs. old 12 yrs. ago
Apparently the rich kid idiots who stole the hand of Madrid's favorite goddess carried it around with them all night dancing and waving it around in the discos before they threw it in the dumpster in the wee hours of the morning.
Also, now an unnamed watch brand has also offered to pay for the repair. Think they want to get some publicity out of it?
I wish I could change my vote, the "a hand for a hand" punishment is more attractive than ever.
Yeah tonytorero, that Ronaldo & Neptuno screensaver was a real kick in the ass. As you can see, I saved it to my PC for a reason... they already caught their error and they have removed it from the downloads page at www.r9ronaldo.com/eng/download.html .
I have it saved in 1024x768 if anyone wants it for posterity
Maybe Morocco can help out. The culprits should be forced to carve a new hand (curly bit) themselves. Until they have all perfected the art they should stay in a nice moroccan jail. Of course only safe tools should be available like very blunt sticks (no metal tools).
The cuplrits will learn valuable new skills (pre iron-age carving and arabic to start with) and the Morocco security forces can spend time watching them instead of invading Spain (Perejil).
Saludos,
Ian
p.d. I'm impressed jer, you beat everyone to the Ronaldo story.
Posts: 46 | Location: Madrid Spain | Registered: 05 September 2002
I'm just still amazed that we can call 22 year olds "kids" and than go on to suggest that their parents pay for their silliness. Obviously for a multitude of reasons there are a lot of 20 somethings without productive activities to occupy their time and energies, regardless of the socioeconomic status of their parents.
Posts: 22 | Location: Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain | Registered: 06 July 2001
and a witness to the tragedy reported th ecar model and make to the police of those drunkards. 5 or 6 were arrested for the heinous crime and they are saying that it was an accident. Problem is that they do not know what happened to the hand (so they claim) and think that they took it and tossed it into a dumpster in the street 
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