The 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco's death is coming up to encourage demonstrations with Francoist symbols and chantsIt is a phenomenon that has become recurrent and, each time it occurs, highlights the authorities' inability to prevent such scenes. This is precisely what happened with the demonstration called by the Spanish Falange the day after November 20th in Madrid. The protest ended in front of the PSOE headquarters on Ferraz Street, producing images that "absolutely clash with the defense of democracy," as the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, stated a few days later. The Spanish government delegation in Madrid tried to prohibit this protest, arguing that it posed a "real and objectively verifiable risk of public disorder" as well as the dissemination of hate speech and the humiliation of victims of Francoism, which are prohibited by the Democratic Memory Law. However, the High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) overturned this claim and authorized the demonstration, arguing that the right to assembly cannot be limited preventively and that, if necessary, action should be taken after the fact.

At a time when democratic memory occupies a central place on the public agenda, the ARA (Ateneo de la Memoria, or Association of the Catalan People) brought together three expert voices this Wednesday to analyze how Catalonia and Spain are confronting the discrimination that has permeated their history and still persists. In the Oriol Bohigas Room of the Ateneo Barcelonès, in the heart of Barcelona, ​​Lluís Rambla, social worker, professor of social work, and trustee of the LGTBIQ+ Foundation; Laia Gallego, historian and archaeologist; and Antumi Toasijé, historian, writer, and artist, stated that without transparency, plurality, and a clear commitment to incorporating all silenced voices, "there cannot be a complete democratic narrative."

When the regional pacts between the People's Party (PP) and Vox were forged, a key point for the far right was the dismantling of the democratic memory laws that scrutinize the Franco regime. This Tuesday have been the Balearic Islands The region that has taken the final step to repeal the memory law approved by the previous left-wing government and has promised to honor the victims of the Republican bombings to appease Vox. However, this is not an isolated case. Extremadura has also repealed it and promoted a "law of concord," as have Aragon, the Valencian Community, and Cantabria. However, the issue divides the PP.

The Via Laietana police station is now formally a memory space, but will continue to host the Spanish National Police. Official State Gazette (BOE) this Tuesday published the Spanish government's resolution by which "the building located at Via Laietana, 43", headquarters of the Politico-Social Brigade during the Franco regime, is declared a "site of democratic memory". Contrary to what the memorial entities claimed and the Catalan parties, however, the formal resignification of the leadership will not imply the transfer of the Spanish police.