The Spanish, extreme right-wing showed that it was not dead, unfortunately, but alive amongst us with a surprise rally in Almuñécar towards the end of last month.

A procession of about half a dozen cars cruised down Avenida Don Juan Carlos with pre-constitutional (Franco) Spanish flags sticking out of windows on poles. This surprising manifestation was accompanied by the Franco-era marching song, Cara al Sol, blaring from loudspeakers, as well of plenty of stiff-armed fascist salutes; bless their cotton socks.

“We are the Fuerza Nueva (National Front) and each year we choose a different town to celebrate Victory Day. This year we chose Almuñécar to celebrate our slogan: God, the Fatherland and Justice,” supplied one of the blue-shirted members.

To say that passersby were surprised is an understatement.

Here’s a little background info: the FN is the only openly extreme right-wing party represented in the democracy. A retired Spanish general (Piñar) and seven other nostalgic fascists, amongst them a member of Opus Dei, Alvaro Lacalle Leloup formed the party in 1966. They pretty much bombed (flopped) in the late 70’s elections and lost all parliamentary representation by the 80’s, as the majority of Spaniards already had a pretty good idea of what product the FN was selling, thanks to nearly forty years of El Tito Paco (Franco).

So, there you go, when 1-in-5 voters in the French Presidential elections votes for the French extreme right, whilst over in the US the Tea Party & religious right throw up lunatics for President (again), we are reminded that in our own sweet back yard, a civil war and virtually 40 years of repression is insufficient to remind some people that ‘extremes’ cause great pain… even with Vaseline.

We leave you with the following observation on Punk Rock, which can be applied here: Punk is not dead; it just smells a little.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)