THE Civil Guard raised his voice in the face of pressure from pro-ETA this Saturday, October 12National Day of Spain, Hispanic Heritage Day: she celebrated her patroness, the Virgin of the Pillar, by shouting “Long live Spain!” in the center of Vitoria, in front of the Sansomendi barracks, for the first time in this city in 180 years. Thus, 70 civil and military guards of the Army celebrated the commemorative event of the Virgen del Pilar in the Plaza de España, in front of the City Hall of Vitoria, whose mayor is the socialist Maider Etxebarria García. “Long live Spain! Long live!”, they shouted at the start of the celebration. Many Vitorians came to attend the ceremony, chaired by the general head of the Civil Guard of the Basque Country Zone, José Antonio Mingorance, and by the Government delegate, Marisol Garmendia.
Bildu described this celebration as this Spanish city of “bleaching” of the “state terrorism” which, according to him, was carried out by part of the Civil Guard and which left “victims and thousands of people tortured”. The parade ended without incident, although the radicals themselves called for a boycott of this event by the Civil Guard: “we do not want you in Vitoria, we do not need you”, declared Bildu .
The general in chief of the Civil Guard of the Basque Country Zone summoned “keep alive” the memory of the agents assassinated by ETA. Likewise, he reviewed some of the most notable actions of last year in the Basque Country, such as the seizure of 350 kilos of drugs, the recovery of stolen objects worth 2 million euros and the seizure of 52,000 counterfeit products worth 4 million euros.
Proud of our heroes! 🇪🇦 pic.twitter.com/5o9e14aGzf
– VOX Alava (@vox_alava) October 12, 2024
“It is exciting and full of hope that this event can take place in the Plaza de España, in the heart of Vitoria, in tranquility and democratic normality,” congratulated Garmendia, who also praised the “public success and ‘warm welcome’ to this event. and other recent ones that the Civil Guard and the National Police organized in the streets of Vitoria and Bilbao.
🔴 Since @vox_alava today more than ever, our president @JRGvoxalavarepresenting everything @vox_es and accompanying the Civil Guard on the day of their patron saint, in the Plaza de España in Vitoria.
Proud of our history.
Long live the Virgin of Pilar!
Long live Spain! 🇪🇦 pic.twitter.com/drMoeCjCJk– VOX Alava (@vox_alava) October 12, 2024
“The first times, I hope they will be the second, the third… until they are no longer relevant,” said the delegate, who added: “We are not going to return to the past Neither to the dictatorship of Franco nor to the dictatorship of terror of ETA, which murdered 161 civil guards in the Basque Country.
Garmendia had a “moved memory and infinite gratitude” for the agents killed and injured by the terrorist group, thanks to whom it is now possible for there to be peace and freedom in Euskadi, and also sent a “warm hug » to their families. , who had to face the “silence, if not contempt” of Basque society.
The audience greeted these words with applause, which forced Garmendia to interrupt his speech for a few moments.
The delegate was happy to see women among the agents participating in this event, but she hoped that more women would become civil guards and follow in the footsteps of the first female agents who joined the Benemérita 36 years ago and of whom they feel “proud”.
