A-Infos (en) France, CNT-AIT: Anarchosyndicalisme #186 - Impressions of the commemoration in Barcelona of the assassination of Salvador PUIG-ANTICH 50 years ago. (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

For him in Barcelona, the "vile garrote" on March 2, 1974, For us, the 
commemoration of his assassination, from March 1 to 3, 2024. ---- We 
went to Barcelona for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his 
assassination to the "vile garroté" (like all the anars by Franco before 
him). ---- He was not only an anar - communist, councilist, Catalan, 
close to situationism, and other tendencies. He read, he got 
information. He was reasonable, more than others, "the Ambassador" his 
nickname by Maria Dynamite. He was in the struggle, in contact with 
striking workers (Harry Walker and others), with members of 
associations, the Workers' Councils, in contact (like others from the 
MIL) with members of what we will be called OLLA.

But it was impossible to make him escape.
To garrote him was to want "quinqui" (thug); moreover, on the same day 
as him, another so-called civil guard assassin (with a knowingly false 
identity: neither a stateless person nor a Pole, who was not called 
Heinz Chez, and was a German by birth) was executed like him in 
Taragona. ballast).

Salvador, "el Metge" as I knew him, Gustave, Gustavo, was a Catalan 
member of the MIL (Movimiento Iberico de Liberacion or 1000, thousand 
rifles), residing in his city of Barcelona, going to Toulouse, rear base 
and elsewhere with the MIL, wanting written propaganda (Mayo 37 
editions, reissue of Pannekoek and Berneri and others, Folletos, CIA 
magazines -Conspiracion Internacional Antifascista-): the MIL, 
publisher, translator, writer, robber - necessary recovery of funds by 
the "atracos» of Spanish banks (with distribution of the MIL leaflet to 
employees and their fear of taking it) - typed on IBM with a ball, 
stamped MIL).

Barcelona, beautiful, so alive.
We arrived Thursday evening - reunion with the friend, thanks to her, in 
this militant Cénétist accommodation where she is staying with us.

Friday morning passed so quickly together. In the afternoon, the three 
of us go to the "CRAI" library of the University of Barcelona, but a lot 
of time wasted (metro, bus, walking), barely 1 hour in this place full 
of the memory of the Republicans - posters, objects, files. I can't find 
my lost archives there.
A wonderful welcome, perhaps because we introduce ourselves.
We ask the two ladies to send us the Salvador PUIG ANTICH file. We are 
talking. Due to lack of time, we only read the list in the deposit - 
they give us the copy (which is on the internet) which seems reduced to me.
You will have to come back: open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.!

7 p.m. / Friday March 1 - At the Athénée L'ARMONIA (room of an official 
place: former spinning mill, Sant'Andreu district) reserved seats in 
front: beautiful show with activist singers from Spain, Portugal, young 
or older - but above all, what a crowd, how many people, too many people 
for the packed room - old people certainly, half-old and half-young, 
young people, the whole thing: a lively and varied assembly, a lively 
audience - the the hope of young people so that the future sings 
differently than the gray future that officials concoct. How many of us 
there were! 100, 200, 300 or more came, talked, discussed. I didn't 
understand everything (Catalan, Castilian, a little French) but I hope I 
understood the essentials.

Speakers "intervene": the journalist, Raul RIBENBAUER but only one of 
Salvador's three sisters is present who climbed onto the stage in 
solidarity singing with a talented singer.
To say, to explain, it's the fiftieth anniversary, but also a new 
commemoration - our friend, who was a companion of Montes (Ignaci, a 
SOLE SUGRANYES brother, died a few years ago) has prepared her speech 
which she will read... She is patient at length and I pity her for the 
tension she has. Noise in the packed room - it is barely heard. But she 
is not the only one. She waited near the sister of PUIG who she will 
introduce to us - with them, Sol, the coordinator of this beautiful 
event (Argentina which has - this is original - some administrative 
problems). I have not prepared anything and will not speak, heavy 
impressions for me.

Bar on the terrace of the place, so many people chat, we participate 
before returning by metro.
There will be 6 of us at the activist apartment: the friend, and then 
Gabriel POMBO and his family, meals and long discussions into the night, 
in French.

11 a.m. / Saturday 2, we are back at L'ARMONIA: debate entitled, says 
the program, "PUIG and the MIL Fifty years later" (the 3 of us arrive 
very late in a super-full room and this time, no place ).

On the platform, 4 speakers: each politely gives their point of view 
without scratching the neighbor.

There are 2 alumni, Ricard DE VARGAS GALARONS from the OLLA in 
connection with the MIL, and Jean-Marc ROUILLAN, known as Sebas at the 
time of the MIL, and the journalist, Astrid SOLE (who wrote the booklet 
for the commemoration "Segon homenatge a Catalunya - un combat de 
l'autonomia obrera" before the book to be published) and Gabriel POMBO 
DA SILVA (more than 30 years of imprisonment and struggle, ROUILLAN 28) 
each with his own activist life.

There must be around forty of us walking to eat at LA CINETIKA, a busy 
place, a large squat with multiple rooms full of activities (cloakroom 
and free games), cinema room... North African ladies prepared us a 
delicious vegetarian couscous. LA CINETIKA, participatory fund - we 
collect leaflets, information, large audience of all ages (so phew lots 
of young people here too).

On the 1st floor, in the hall, the exhibition: "Salvador PUIG ANTICH i 
el MIL". Full eyes, memories in the heart.
For some time or a few years, the friend explained to us that there is a 
question: were there women in the MIL? We know that they were present, 
activists and sympathizers, lovers, lovers, friends, relations, 
companions, participants, accomplices - car rentals, apartments here and 
there (Toulouse and Barcelona), location scouting, transportation of 
materials, leaflets, magazines, books, etc. No, none for the "atracos", 
and the Metge was one of those who did not want it.

PUIG acquired over time a recognized "companion", Margalida, 20 years 
old in 1974, who has a dedicated song, Margalida. He wrote to her during 
his detention. He, as we met him, as I met him, said he did not want to 
get involved - militant, the danger, day to day, with nostalgia for 
Switzerland, with the desire to play the guitar better , sing, read. ...

For the exhibition, female photos were requested and were sent. Out the 
door.
Almost no photos of women at this exhibition (yes, her sisters).

However: Queso with Quesita (Maria Augustias) she, at 17, sentenced to 5 
years of imprisonment... and Eva, companion of the Secretary, 
Maria-Luisa with Pedrals, and then Aurora with one, the other... 
Salvador found a Gemma sometimes at the apartment in Barcelona 
(leitmotif for us; "you have to clear out what is compromising" on your 
path), a woman from Toulouse near Saint-Sernin in Toulouse, he was charming.

There are always people, downstairs in the large hall, upstairs in the 
exhibition near the rooms and we chat.

5:30 p.m. / we are waiting for the film by José MOLINA "A Salvador PUIG 
ANTICH" and that of Sofian ACHABE, "Dias de suenos y plomo". The room is 
not full - but I am there, touched by the past.

6:30 p.m. / Time listed on the program; "Debate on current struggles".
We think we have time to go there after the cinema. We don't hear the 
news in Catalan - debate advanced and started at the time of the film. 
... /... Aurora. CONTINUED ON THE SITE http://cnt-ait.info

We lost the Catalan friend who went to the debate. She was lit and we 
were not with her, neither Gabriel nor his wife (already gone as they 
had warned us to another gathering).
She was rebuffed like a dirty person, she tells us, by big macho men in 
their forties who didn't live through the MIL period but think they have 
the truth - while the MIL was multiple, unclassifiable, with at least 2 
branches, if not 3, which could intertwine: the theoretical (those who 
print and those who write, prepare, make contacts) and the direct active 
(who, too, contact, can write, travel, recover explosives and equipment, 
hold up), those who are from both branches like Victor (Oriol). The 
friend recounted this strong period, but they raised their big voices - 
macho anars? she didn't come back! it is evil from our past.

When we entered the room before the debate (finished film) she told us 
the story but refused to say WHO, no longer wanted to intervene. We also 
remained silent, arriving at 6:30 p.m., in fact just before the 
conclusions: they are talking about strikes and actions - known air - 
current and future struggles, undoubtedly more lively than in Toulouse 
and more repressed.

A little comfort in the heart while chatting, snacking and drinking in 
the cafeteria. It's hard to speak in Catalan or Castilian, we jabber, 
I'm getting back into the habit...

Rain.

We return to the apartment tired. We decide not to leave for the concert 
at 10 p.m., at the Athénée, in Trinitat Nova. We capitulate, too bad 
(the day before, the three of us stayed up too much and slept little 
with the very nice Gabriel and his wife). If the concert had been in the 
same neighborhood, we would have stayed there for a while.

11 a.m. / Sunday 3, commemoration at Montjuic cemetery. It is not raining.

After the metro, meet to be picked up by van - lucky, because it's 
really far and high on the hill.

A box for Salvador among tens of thousands of others, a box where his 
family was one day authorized to put a "beautiful" plaque, his name (his 
family placed a discreet little cross for him). He was 26 and we were 
the same age.
(We saw other almost anonymous huts in Montjuic, with a name or a date, 
or both: executed people? or anonymous drowned people?).

In Montjuic, at least a hundred people were present, - of course Ricart 
(we were in the same vehicle), a sister of PUIG and her husband, 
Jean-Marc ROUILLAN and his partner, others, the crowd - perhaps more old 
people but not only that - the Portuguese singer who lived in France, 
the guitarist, the cenetists from L'Hospitalet with their flag (the only 
one), their bouquet and her little red-black card that they will hang on 
the Metge plaque, the maximum number of flowers hanging on its plaque 
(but no room for all the flowers) present all those who carried their 
hearts and their spirit of struggle - declarations and songs. But he 
died at 26.

The two of us decide to go back down peacefully on foot, the view is 
beautiful, life is beautiful with so much nostalgia in our hearts - we 
have time to go quietly to the Vallcarca district for the inauguration 
of the PUIG mural at 5 p.m. We wander around this immense place.
Almost at the entrance to the cemetery a car with 5 young people calls 
out to us.
We jabber in Castilian Catalan - But we are French! Have you seen 
Durruti's grave? - No, we don't know where it is - and see Ferrer's. - 
Take the last road on the right before the exit, we're going there too. 
We find the Gascons there. (For me, more CNT-AIT stickers to stick, than 
the SNU one and I stick it).

There are three equal graves: on the left, Ferrer, in the middle 
Durruti, on the right Facerias: on the town post are simply indicated 
their names and dates, birth and death - 36 for Durruti and Facerias. 
The city has especially not engaged in proxelitism. (large grave-bin of 
a trade unionist not far away).

We stroll leisurely to the Puces de Montjuic just below, and will arrive 
in Vallcarca in advance. Location of the fresco identified (a square 
born from the destruction of workers' houses) we have time to have a 
bite to eat in a nice place.

5 p.m. / Inauguration of the large fresco representing Salvador with the 
creator, member of a collective.
We're just arriving - lots of people, 60 to 100 people downwind. We did 
not come across Jean-Marc ROUILLAN and his partner. She's the one who 
calls half an hour later: yes, we were there, they left very quickly - 
we didn't see each other. I'm sure I'm on the video recording. We spoke 
to 3 people including the painter. We don't catch all the words in 
Catalan, but the whole thing, as we know the story. Beer or hibiscus and 
peanut herbal tea - we'll come back to the warmth of the nice little 
cafeteria before taking the metro home.
Another tough day, kilometers swallowed. Exchange of words. Feelings 
that come up. The artist painted the PUIG's face a tad too large, but 
bravo for the performance, it's a beautiful, colorful work!

At the end of these three days, we met and talked, and met people, 
perhaps not as many as hoped, also as we feared - so many people - art 
of dodging for me.

Most of the MIL's exes were absent, we didn't see them again. They did 
not want to come (they went to other commemorations, I did not, it was 
too lively, I was in another life). Experience that stirs, ancient times 
that go back.
Joy to see Barcelona again after more than twenty years. Want to go back.

Sunday night. We eat at the Cénétist apartment (my phone is blocked, we 
forget to take photos, although there is an article about them who 
returned to Spain in a magazine, and about other activists). Three 
shopping trips to the small supermarket next door (number of stores open 
until 11 p.m.!...).

Monday March 3, because at noon, but we decided to leave early, to have 
time.
We get off the metro at the Arc de Triomphe which I recognize.
Just a stone's throw away, the Gare de France station. Four steps away 
from the sea that we will not see.
Three steps from this military building where the two "sumarissimo" 
trials of MIL members took place. The Toulouse lawyer M-Christine ETELIN 
attended. Special court, Francoist court.
From the second day of his trial, January 9, 1974, PUIG ANTICH received 
two death sentences - and was exempted from one!!!

Oriol SOLE SUGRANYES (26 years old) and Jose Luis PONS LLOPET (18 years 
old - already 30 years in prison for him at the trial with Salvador) in 
a second trial escaped the required death penalty. Prison sentences, 30, 
60 years (cumulative sentences as in the United States) fewer years for 
the others in the MIL (in Franco prison: going to mass, 1 week less in 
prison per mass, but also the opportunity to meet friends).

Death of Franco in November 1975. Amnesty law in October 1977.

But Salvador PUIG ANTICH was executed on March 2, 1974.

Then, during the escape from Segovia (24 members of ETA, 2 from FAC, 1 
from PCEi and 2 from MIL);
On April 6, 1976, Oriol SOLE SUGRANYES was shot dead (3 times) near the 
border in Aurizberri.

= 2 MIL activists murdered.

Aurora - ex of this time, ex of MIL

Not forgetting that before Franco's death, a dozen people were still 
murdered (and hundreds injured):

09/27/1975 shot 5 members of ETA in BURGOS, and 3 of FRAP in HOYO DE 
MANZANARES,
03/03/1976 shot dead 5 strikers leaving a church gassed by the police in 
VITORIA-GASTEIZ,

https://cntaittoulouse.lautre.net/spip.php?article1392
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe https://ainfos.ca/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en