The management of the ‘Mini Eco’ bar recently created a petition, which already has over 230 signatures, to “save” the project. The petition comes after the noise regulations were approved at a council meeting.
According to the petition, the management intends to take the necessary steps to ensure “continuity of operation of the Mini Eco Bar, maintaining its opening hours and being recognized as a space where people usually dance”.
The petition accuses that since the opening of the local accommodations they have “been the target of persecution and harassment by Councillor João Rodrigues, its director Rita Quintino and the PSP.”
“The situation worsened after we made a complaint to the Funchal City Council that the PIER HOUSE accommodation, owned by Mr. Ricardo Sousa, contained several illegalities, including evidence being sent to Funchal Alerta. This complaint has been under analysis for higher decision since 28.09.2022”, it also reads.
The management also clarifies that regarding opening hours, “Councillor João Rodrigues claims that our license that allows us to be open, as we have always been until 4:00 am, issued by the council of Dr. Miguel Albuquerque and Dr. Rubina Leal IS NOT LEGAL”.
Mentioning Municipal Regulation No. 692/2015, article 2, no. 1, it states that “Restaurants or beverage establishments with a dance space or rooms intended for dancing, OR WHERE DANCING IS USUALLY DONE, or where, as an accessory, artistic shows are held, fixed venues for non-artistic public shows and entertainment, may adopt opening hours between 8 am and 6 am.”
“This persecution, harassment and discrimination became even more intense and the alleged influence peddling became clearer with the almost daily sending of more than a dozen police officers to close the bar,” he accuses.
He mentions that a letter was also sent to the Funchal local authority, with the aim of “putting an end to this situation”, a meeting with the then president of the Funchal Municipal Council, Dr. Pedro Calado and with the Councilor for Urbanism Joao Rodrigues, but that “to this day we have not received any response.”
“We were told in person in an action with around 10 police officers, 4 council inspectors, the Commander of the PSP of Funchal and the Director of Inspection of the Funchal Council Rita Quintino that we should adapt as times have changed and we cannot disturb customers”, he says.
After a series of accusations in which they claim that they intended to close the ‘Mini Eco’, in “February 2025 they just approved a law to annihilate our space and close it at 1:00 am without any reason”.
He ends by saying that “today it’s me, tomorrow it could be you.”