On October 8th, an institutional ceremony will take place to acknowledge and honor the victims of the Francoist reprisals. The commemorative program will begin on August 29th with a guided tour of the key sites of Francoist repression in Manresa in 1976, as part of the ‘Manresa Desconeguda’ (Unknown Manresa) tour. The following day, Saturday the 30th, will see the opening of an exhibition about the ‘Assemblea del Bages’ at the Museu de Manresa.
Manresa commemorates the 50th anniversary of the last Francoist detentions in the city, as well as the struggle for the recovery of rights and freedom during and after the dictatorship, with a program of activities that will begin during the city’s festivities and continue until November.
The first event of the commemoration will be part of the “Manresa Desconeguda” (Unknown Manresa) tours, as part of the city festival program, taking place on August 29th. It will consist of a guided tour through key sites of Francoist repression in Manresa related to the events of October 1975, which culminated in the detention of 25 people just weeks before the dictator’s death on November 20th of that same year.
On Saturday the 30, an exhibition about the “Assemblea del Bages” will be inaugurated at the Museu de Manresa. The exhibition will be open to the public until October 28th.
The events and activities under the title “1975: 50 anys de les detencions de militants antifranquistes a Manresa. La lluita per la recuperació dels drets i les llibertats” (1975: 50 years of the detention of antifrancoist activists in Manresa. The struggle for the reovery of rights and freedom), were presented this Friday by the city mayor, Marc Aloy Guàrdia, the Culture and Language Councillor, Tània Infante Martínez, and Josep Fuentes Ribas, who was one of the victims of the reprisals, along with representatives from various organizations involved in the program.
During the presentation, they revealed that the repression of October 1975 will play a central role in the different activities. However, the commemoration will also serve as a reminder of the regime’s opposition from the moment Franco came to power until his death—a period when the resistance became more organized despite the relentless repression of the dictatorship.
Institutional acknowledgment of the victims of the reprisals
The Town Council of Manresa will also organize an institutional event to acknowledge the victims of Francoist reprisals on October 8th at the City Hall. This event will take place the day before the 50th anniversary of the detention of 25 activists in Manresa, which occurred between October 9th and 16th, 1975.
The detentions began as a response to a political pamphlet signed by Comisiones Obreras (Workers’ Commissions), which condemned the executions of five members of ETA and FRAP and called for improvements in working conditions, quality of life for the working class, and various rights.
Most of those arrested were interrogated and subjected to physical and psychological torture, humiliation, and their families were threatened.
The program will include several events aimed at explaining the consequences of Francoist repression throughout the more than four decades of dictatorship. There will be two guided tours of the exhibition on the “Assemblea Democràtica del Bages” at the Museu de Manresa. Additionally, the program will feature round tables, lectures, exhibitions at the Espai Plana de l’Om and the libraries of “Casino” and “Ateneu,” as well as theatrical plays.
Moreover, the CLAM Festival (International Festival of Solidarity Cinema of Catalonia), which will be held in Manresa from October 17th to 26th, will be part of the anniversary celebrations, with the screening of five cinematic masterpieces focusing on the rise and impact of fascism in society.
Victims of the reprisals from 50 years ago will participate in the various events.
The program “1975: 50 anys de les detencions de militants antifranquistes a Manresa. La lluita per la recuperació dels drets i les llibertats” has been created collaboratively by a range of organizations, each contributing with its perspective. These include the City Council, the Museu de Manresa, the Associació Memòria i Història de Manresa, Associació Viure i Conviure, Centre d’Estudis del Bages, Comissions Obreres, Foment de la Memòria Popular, El Pou de la Gallina, the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa, the Tocats de Lletra literature festival, the Ateneu les Bases Library, Manresana d’Equipaments Escènics, El Galliner, and the CLAM Festival.
The aim of the program is to remember and reflect on what happened, in order to help build a more democratic, free, and inclusive society.
The events will be supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya – Memorial Democràtic and the Xarxa de Museus Locals of the Diputació de Barcelona.
