A commemorative plaque will appear in the Hortaleza district of Madrid, dedicated to the first permitted protest in the capital after the death of Francisco Franco. The decision to install the memorial on Canillas Road was made at a district council meeting. The initiative was supported by representatives of opposition left-wing parties, Partido Popular abstained, and Vox was sharply opposed.
Political conflict
The discussion of the issue was accompanied by sharp disagreements. Vox called the organizers of the historic event “the best pretend freedom fighters” and questioned the significance of the event. Partido Popular, which holds the majority in the city council, decided not to hinder the installation of the plaque, but emphasized that it does not support the way the protest was organized. Representatives of the left-wing parties insisted on the importance of preserving the memory of events that, in their view, marked a step toward democracy.
History of the protest
The demonstration on Canillas Road took place on March 13, 1976. Hundreds of residents took to the streets to draw attention to the poor condition of the district’s main road. The slogan “200 barrels per mile” was coined by the well-known cartoonist Antonio Fraguas, Forges. The organizers secured official permission for the protest thanks to the initiative of lawyer Luis Javier Benavides, who submitted the application on behalf of the housewives’ association to avoid suspicion from the regime. A year later, Benavides was killed during a far-right attack on Calle Atocha.
Reaction and decision details
The initiative to install the plaque came from the PSOE and was supported by Más Madrid. The Partido Popular explained its abstention by wanting to demonstrate respect for democratic procedures, despite disagreements over the event itself. Vox, on the other hand, accused neighborhood associations of politicization and declared that the historic action had been organized by “communists” and did not deserve to be memorialized.
Context and significance
Many participants in that demonstration, including Marta Hidalgo, acted under strict limitations and a lack of basic city services. According to residents, the area suffered from poor infrastructure and the roads were in disrepair. This was the reason for the first authorized protest in Madrid after the dictatorship. The commemorative plaque is meant to remind people of the role of civil initiatives in the city’s history.
