ANTI-FASCISTS
in Spain, organised by the AABI International Brigades Friendship group, known
as the Amigos, are fighting a major political battle to defend the existence of
the memorial in Madrid’s University City to those who died fighting with the
International Brigades.
And
last Saturday a young Spanish campaigner made an impassioned plea for support
from members and supporters of the International Brigade Memorial Trust in
London at its annual memorial event in Jubilee gardens last Saturday.
She
called on the crowd – several hundred strong – to support a petition to save
the memorial.
Madrid’s
Complutense University has been ordered to remove the memorial that was
unveiled on 22nd October 2011 in the presence of four International Brigade
veterans, including David Lomon from Britain.
The
order was made on 3rd June 2013 by a Madrid court, the Tribunal Superior de
Justicia, on the grounds that the monument had been erected by the university
without planning permission. The university is reported to be insisting that it
applied for the permission but did not receive a reply from the city council.
But
the call for its removal came from Spanish fascists, who still exert a powerful
influence in that country.
The
IBMT donated €500 towards the cost of
the memorial. Several other International Brigade associations also contributed
to the financial appeal launched by the AABI, as did the Madrid embassies of
Argentina, Canada, Cyprus, Norway, Russia, Serbia and Slovenia.
The
court’s decision was greeted with dismay by the AABI activists, who noted that,
although the ruling was made on technical grounds, the original complaint was
lodged by a lawyer with known far-right connections. They also point out that
Franco's Arco de la Victoria (Victory Arch) still stands at the entrance to the
University City.
In
a letter to the Spanish ambassador in London, Frederico Trillo, IBMT Secretary
Jim Jump said the decision would be interpreted by many people as evidence that
there were institutions in Spain that had still not come to terms with the
country’s recent history.
“For
a Spanish court to be seen to be acting in a way that denigrates the memory of
those who fought in Spain against European fascism and on the side of a
democratic government is highly damaging to the image of Spain in the outside
world,” he added.
The
petition form, which can be reached on
http://www.change.org/es/peticiones/paremos-la-retirada-del-monumento-a-las-brigadas-internacionales-de-la-ucm>?,
is hosted by @change.org . It is in Spanish but this can be changed by
scrolling down to the foot of the page and
There
ceremony last Saturday was very poignant – since the previous year’s event the
last two survivors living in England – David Lomon and Lou Kenton – had died,
as had Mike Jones, son of brigader and trade union leader Jack Jones.
And
one of the leading initiators and organisers of the IBMT – who also happens to
have been the New Communist Party’s own much loved and respected Dolly Shaer –
had also died just five days before the event. Jim Jump read out a moving
tribute to her and her work for the IBMT.
Other
speakers included Rodney Bickerstaffe, Bob Whelan of the train drivers’ union
Aslef and the sons of Lou Kenton and David Lomon.
Wreathes
were laid at the memorial by representatives of many organisations and trade
unions.
Music
was provided by a choir from Catalonia and from folk singer Grace Petrie, who
led the crowd in singing the Brigaders’ song Jarama. She also played a couple
of her own compositions, upbeat and loud: “I still have faith in the common
man, who is doing what he can…”
The
ceremony finished with the mass singing of the Internationale.
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