Gasparilla pirates rebuffed as mayor refuses to surrender key to the city: ‘We will never surrender!’
Gasparilla pirates storm Tampa City Hall
The cannons roared and beads went flying as pirates as Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla made their way through downtown Tampa on Tuesday. But despite the loud demands and pirate escort, Mayor Jane Castor wasn't ready to hand over the key just yet. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - The cannons roared and beads went flying as pirates as Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG) made their way through downtown Tampa on Tuesday. But despite the loud demands and pirate escort, Mayor Jane Castor wasn't ready to hand over the key just yet.
What we know:
The pirates stormed city hall and brought the mayor out of her office down to Lykes Gaslight Park, where they read a proclamation praising the city.
"Our Krewe of Gasparilla has sailed the coast of Florida and has found no finer city than your great city of Tampa," the proclamation read.
Then they demanded a peaceful surrender of the city key.
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Castor, however, was unimpressed.
"We will never surrender! Back, you gnarly pirates!" Castor shouted to a cheering crowd.
The backstory:
For the pirates, the rejection is all part of the tradition.
Bob Kelly and his brother, Dave, have been YMKG members for over 30 years. They took Tuesday’s loss in strike.
"It’s a little disappointing that the mayor did not surrender," Kelly joked. "I mean, it’s only been the 121st time they haven't surrendered, so we kind of expected it."
Sources tell FOX 13 the mayor will, in fact, give up the key to the city to the pirates on Saturday. Then the pirates will celebrate with a parade, which starts at 2 p.m.
What they're saying:
While the back-and-forth is all in good fun, the mayor noted that these pirates do more than just plunder and make demands.
"Oh, they definitely help our community, I'll give them that," Castor added. "They may smell bad, and they may not be the brightest group. But they do great things in our community."
On Tuesday, YMKG pirates visited Pepin Academy and AdventHealth to spread Gasparilla cheer.
"People that may not be able to get to the parade, give them a chance to enjoy the Gasparilla spirit that we have year-round," YMKG pirate Matt Moss told FOX 13 during his visit to Pepin Academy. "It’s one of the best parts about being a pirate."
The Source: This article was written with information gathered by FOX 13’s Ariel Plasencia.