Political symbolism controversies in Barcelona

In Barcelona, local organizations and government officials have initiated protests against the use of political symbolism linked to far-right ideologies and the Franco dictatorship.

Els Castellers de Barcelona has called for the removal of a promotional video by the Aliança Catalana party, alleging the group used unauthorized images of human towers to promote “hate speech” and “fear.” The organization maintains that its culture is “open, tolerant, and anti-fascist.”

Concurrently, the Barcelona City Council has sought the expulsion of the football team Mingorrubió Balompié from a local league. The team, which includes local Vox officials, reportedly utilized crests featuring Francoist symbolism, including the name “Bayern de los Caídos.” City Councilor for Sports David Escudé stated that municipal facilities should not be used to “normalize expressions linked to a dictatorship.”

The council’s demand for expulsion from competitions at the Velòdrom d'Horta follows allegations that the team is violating the Democratic Memory Law. The team’s name refers to the cemetery where Francisco Franco is buried, and its previous shield included the name ‘F. C. Bayern de los Caídos’ and an anagram of Franco’s name. The matter was brought to the attention of the Prosecutor's Office by a legal group following protests from citizens and other teams regarding the use of such imagery in public spaces. The team reportedly includes Vox members, specifically provincial vice-president Juan Cremades and district councilor Carles Oliva.