Re: [Marxism] thing to see in Barcelona

[J.M.P.Cloke@xxxxxxxxxxx]

I lived in Barcelona from 1991-92, working for a firm of 
motorbike messengers called 'Halcon' (Falcon).

Although it was the Olympic year there was a good deal 
more political activity going on than in the UK at the 
time; I can remember taking part in a couple of big 
anti-racist rallies headed up by the CNT-FAI, after the 
'Boixos Nois' (right-wing skinheads) kicked some Latin 
American street sleepers to death. Tens of thousands of 
people protested in those rallies.

The most interesting thing, though, was the way that 
Barcelona FC seemd to have become an important symbol of 
Catalan nationhood and resistance to the madrileno 
government; when Barca won the Spanish league in 1992 and 
then the European Championships (beat Lazio, I think) the 
welcome home was less a football thing than a nationalist 
rally.

When the welcome home party started in the Ramblas, it 
didn't take long for the crowds to start getting ugly with 
the Guardia Civil, the obvious symbol of the hated Madrid 
government and Franquismo, and throwing bottles and stuff 
at them. the Guardia had plainly been expecting it because 
all of a suddent about 30 vanloads of Guardia turned up, 
all dressed in riot gear, and started beating the shit out 
of everybody, women and girls included, then turned the 
water cannon on them - no warning.

Me, I hid under one of the newspaper kiosks in the middle. 
Must have been just like the Civil War, I reckon.

 
Jon Cloke


________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu