Police in Spain announced today that they had arrested 17 people in the city of Vitoria in the Basque country's north due to clashes between supporters and opponents of the former fascist dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975), and about twenty police officers were slightly injured.
The violence erupted a few weeks before the 50th anniversary of the death of the man who ruled Spain with an iron fist from 1939 until his death in 1975.
The pro-fascist Falange party held a rally in the Basque Autonomous Region, which is seeking independence, to "confirm the defense of the unity of Spain." The party claims to be the successor to the Spanish Falange, founded in 1933 and a pillar of Franco's regime.
Dozens of activists were giving fascist salutes and waving Spanish flags in the central square of the city of Vitoria, where their opponents came under hoods. The two sides, before the police dispersed them, threw whatever they found at each other and set fire to garbage containers.
Bonus video:
