Spanish National Day sees rivaling rallies at Barcelona’s Columbus monument
Far-right groups take to the streets to celebrate holiday, while anti-racist activists condemn colonialism and demand reparations
In a year when Barcelona’s monument to Cristopher Columbus faced renewed criticism from Black Lives Matter-inspired movements, the city’s most iconic statue has become the stage for rivaling demonstrations on Spain’s National Day on October 12—a holiday marking the conquistador’s arrival in the American continent in 1492.
In the morning, demonstrations called by far-right groups such as the Vox party converged at the foot of the monument, where a priest officiated and called Virgin Mary the "founder of Spain".
400 people attended the protest, according to Barcelona’s local police.