Cries of “Long live Franco and José Antonio Primo de
Rivera” – the founder of the Falange, the Spanish equivalent of
the Nazi party – at a tense meeting at the Bar Association of
Madrid
During a General Meeting of the institution, the
President of the Madrid Bar Association prevented discussion of a
proposed withdrawal of the titles of Honorary President from both the
dictator and the founder of the Falange.
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| Gen. Franco (left) & J.A. Primo de Rivera |
The item had been included in the agenda of the meeting,
published on the website of the Association, and complied with the
requirements, having been submitted in time and was supported by a
minimum of twenty-five registered practicing members.
Its inclusion had provoked a call from the Conservative
digital newspaper DiarioYa.es urging lawyers to attend the meeting in
order to prevent the withdrawal of the titles. They considered that
depriving both dignitaries of these distinctions was a
“humiliation” and it entailed “sowing hatred and rancour.”
They defended that José Antonio Primo de Rivera was “a brilliant
lawyer of our Association” and that “Franco’s regime gave
peace, prosperity and reconciliation to Spain, which makes our
day-to-day work as lawyers in support for justice possible today.”
According to Miguel Angel Muga, the lawyer promoting
ALA's initiative, some 10 to 15 lawyers of fascist organizations went
to the meeting. The item was to come up at 1 AM Friday, but to the
surprise of the proponents, the President explained that the
Governing Board considered that the proposal was not a matter for a
General Meeting, and that it was not appropriate for discussion.
Mr. Muga highlights that at that moment there were about
100 lawyers at the meeting, who experienced moments of great tension
after it was announced the issue was not going to be discussed, along
with the lawyers who had come to support Gen. Franco and José
Antonio Primo de Rivera, to whom they dedicated several “long
lives”. They also shouted insults, according to the representative
of ALA.
However, Bar Association sources pointed out that other
members attending the assembly did not hear the cheers. Mr Muga
insists that these were made, and that there was even division
between supporters of Gen. Franco and José Antonio Primo de Rivera.
There were several personal confrontations and when members of the
ALA left, they were seen off with “the communists are leaving.”
To clarify and testify to the events, Mr Muga has asked
the Bar Association to deliver a copy of the recording of the
Assembly, which would illustrate exactly what happened.
In addition, Mr. Muga criticises the President for not
even reporting at the meeting whether the Governing Board has adopted
a decision on the controversial honorary titles, awarded in March
1939 at the end of the Spanish Civil War by the provisional Governing
Board of the Bar Association of Madrid. The decision to withdraw the
title from Gen. Franco but not from José Antonio Primo de Rivera has
been communicated to ALA unofficially, although they will ask for a
copy of the minutes where these agreements have been recorded.
Mr Muga explained that his proposal – along with 14
other proposals that had been submitted and had likewise not been
allowed to be discussed or voted – met all the requirements, so ALA
will consider adopting legal measures against the determinations of
the President, considering that their rights as registered lawyers
have been breached.
The awards were granted immediately after the triumph of
the military rebels in the Civil War, on March 28th
1939, when the Provisional Board of the Bar Association of Madrid
agreed to appoint Francisco Franco Bahamonde and José Antonio Primo
de Rivera y Sáenz de Heredia Honorary Presidents “for their
involvement in the coup and subsequent military revolt,” Mr Muga
explained.
Originally published by Público.es
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