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Pirates demand Tampa city key ahead of Gasparilla
Ariel Plasencia reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Pirates with Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla demanded the key to the city of Tampa on Tuesday, but the mayor refused to hand it over.
"Well, negotiations didn't go that well, because we did not get the key as usual," YMKG’s Matt Moss said. "But that just opens things up for next Saturday."
The pirates did their best to negotiate a peaceful surrender of the city with Mayor Jane Castor at Lykes Gaslight Park on Tuesday afternoon. But Castor stood firm, refusing to cave to their demands.
READ: Tampa police prepare for more pirate ships invading the bay during Gasparilla this year
The pirates promised an invasion Saturday.
"We'll probably have around half a million people out there to see it from the land, sea, and sky," Castor said of Saturday’s Gasparilla Pirate Fest. "I'm not going to give our city up, so I guess we're just going to have to have an invasion."
Sources tell FOX 13 Castor is expected to surrender the key to the pirates on Saturday around 1 p.m. with the parade following at 2 p.m.
"The weather is going to be fantastic, and we will take over the city. I can guarantee you we will have the key come Saturday afternoon and celebrate with 500,000 of our closest friends here in Tampa," Moss said.
Castor admitted the city will benefit from the pirates’ eventual invasion.
READ: The Florida Aquarium offering discounted admission if you recycle Gasparilla beads
"The number of people that come in and visit and just what it generates for our restaurants, for our hotels, for entertainment. Again, just putting us on the map. Everybody gets to see what is great about the city of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region during Gasparilla season," Castor said.
The demanding pirates also spent time doing good in the community on Tuesday. Pirates made a surprise visit to the AdventHealth Tampa Pediatric Unit to hand out beads and toys to young patients who had to miss the Gasparilla Children's Parade this past weekend due to illness.
Pirates also visited Pyramid Tampa, an arts-focused school for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The students surprised the pirates with a performance, proving that a peaceful partnership with these bearded bandits is in fact possible.