The General Directorate of Police has ordered the opening of an “internal investigation” to determine the circumstances surrounding the presence of a flag with the Burgundy cross, one of the symbols used by the far right in its recent protests. in a police station in Las Palmas, Interior Ministry sources confirmed to EL PAÍS. The existence of the flag as part of the decoration of official offices became known after a recent RTVE report showed images of police activity during Carnival on the island. The controversy has reached the Congress of Deputies, where Sumar, a partner in the government of Pedro Sánchez, presented a parliamentary initiative asking Fernando Grande-Marlaska's department “which responsibilities should be resolved”. “from the use of right-wing extremist or fascist symbols at a police station.”
The images were part of the information about the deployment of the police to deal with possible incidents during the big celebrations of these days in the capital of the Canary Islands. They showed a police commander giving instructions to other officers in a room dominated by a Spanish flag and, just below, slightly larger, the flag with the cross of Burgundy. Immediately afterwards, the same police officer made statements to a journalist with the same background symbols.
In the parliamentary question, the IU parliamentary spokesman in the Sumar group, Enrique Santiago, emphasizes that this flag is currently being used “by right-wing extremist groups in their performances”. [algunos manifestantes de las protestas que durante semanas se celebraron ante la sede federal del PSOE en la calle Ferraz de Madrid las portaban] and by ultra fans on the football fields.” The Sumar MP emphasizes that there are studies being carried out by the police [se refiere a uno redactado por un subinspector para uso en una academia de oposiciones] These include “this flag as a symbol of hate, precisely because in its use and display it reflects the message of fascism or Nazi, racist and intolerant ideologies.” In the text, Santiago recalls that the Cross of Burgundy “was adopted by the Carlists in 1935 , coinciding with the restructuring of the Requeté, which was then a secret paramilitary group,” adding that it was later “used by traditionalists and Carlists.” Regiments during the Spanish Civil War within the fascist side.”
During the recent far-right protests, some demonstrators raised the flag with the Red Cross – which represents two branches with knots – along with other banners with historical symbols, such as the double-headed eagle, the symbol of the House of Habsburg or House of Austria. In most cases, participants in the protests showed signs of ignorance about the meaning of these and other symbols, as revealed in their statements to the media when asked about them. In the case of the Cross of Burgundy, it was incorporated into the Spanish flags by Philip the Fair of the Houses of Austria and Burgundy, who married Juana I of Castile (Juana la Loca), the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs. The cross, which has the shape of the cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of the Burgundians), became the symbol of the empire with Charles I of Spain and V of Germany, their son.
From that moment on, the cross was present on the royal standards – the personal flags – of the kings, although it disappeared from the Spanish flag at the end of the 18th century by the decision of Charles III, who wanted to prevent the Crown's ships from being confused with those of France or Naples, which also bore this cross on their naval flags. Then the ships' flag became red-yellow-red, which Isabel II changed into the emblem of Spain in 1843. However, the Burgundy cross remained on the royal shields and Franco placed it on the planes of the insurgent army during the Civil War. After his death, Juan Carlos I kept it on his shield, even though the symbol was linked to Francoism. Felipe VI excluded her from his throne when he took the throne.
What influences the most is what happens next. So you don't miss anything, subscribe.
Subscribe to
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
_