Lawyer sues mayors of cities that still display Francoist symbols

A LAWYER has issued lawsuits against the mayors of 38 different cities for not removing symbols from Franco’s dictatorship.

The lawyer, Eduardo Ranz, claims that these symbols violate the Spanish Historical Memory Law and by keeping them, the mayors could be committing a disobedience crime.

Mr Ranz explained during a conference in Madrid that the accused mayors must “respect and support” the dictatorship’s victims and added that removing those symbols would prevent the victims from feeling humiliated as they walk around the town’s streets.

Amongst the mayors facing complaints are those from Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Bilbao, Alicante, Oviedo, Lugo and Cordoba.

Mr Ranz added that the Historical Memory Law urges administrations to take appropriate measures to eliminate commemorative objects or references which praise Franco’s military uprising, the Spanish Civil War or the post-war repression.

In Madrid, Franco symbolism includes the Arco de la Victoria, two stone coats of arms in the Santa Cruz Palace, a fresco in the Cuartel General del Estado Mayor de la Defensa and two commemorative plaques, one at the El Pardo Palace and another one in the Tribunal de Cuentas.

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