Pont-Saint-Martin, the devil damaged by vandals

In the night between Sunday and Monday they released the support that supports it

SAINT-MARTIN BRIDGE. The symbol of Pont-Saint-Martin’s historic Carnival was desecrated by vandals. In the night between Sunday and Monday, unknown persons unhooked the support that supports the puppet of the Devil under the arch of the Roman bridge causing it to fall ruinously into the waters of the Lys. All this within a few hours of the burn scheduled for Shrove Tuesday evening. «It happened around two in the morning – says Battista Enrietti, president of the Pro loco -. A gesture that speaks for itself. This afternoon (Monday, editor’s note) I will go to the Donnas police station for a report. It is hoped that something will emerge from the vision of the cameras. Certainly this episode will not stop our Carnival. The puppet has suffered significant damage but for the evening of Shrove Tuesday it will be in its place as always, for the traditional stake ». The fact caused a sensation in the community of Pont-Saint-Martin, very close to the Carnival. A gesture experienced as an affront and made even more bitter and cowardly given the moment. The puppet of the Devil in these two years of pandemic has in fact become the symbol of resilience of the local population in wanting to keep alive the carnival tradition despite the limitations imposed by Covid.