Vox announces that it will remove the name of the anti-fascist Guillem Agulló from a walk in Valencia

The second deputy mayor and delegate councilor for Parks and Gardens, Juan Manuel Badenas, from Vox, in an appearance last October. Mònica Torres

The second deputy mayor of the Valencia City Council and Councilor for Parks and Gardens, Juan Manuel Badenas, from Vox, has announced that he will remove the name of the anti-fascist and nationalist Guillem Agulló from a walk from the Viveros Gardens in the capital because it represents “a imposition” of a part of Valencians that “is no longer the majority”, he declared minutes before the start of the extraordinary municipal plenary session that is being held this Thursday in the Valencia Provincial Council.

An imposition of a part of the Valencians, which is now no longer the majority.

Vox's announcement comes two days after in the Valencian Cortes the groups of Vox and PP, the coalition that governs the Generalitat, have eliminated the Guillem Agulló Award that since 2016 they have awarded to outstanding people or institutions in the fight against xenophobia, the racism and hate crimes with the name of this young man murdered by a neo-Nazi in 1993.

The second deputy mayor has indicated that "obviously" and "evidently yes" that they are going to remove the name of Guillem Agulló from the Paseo de Viveros, and give it a name that corresponds "really with what the majority of Valencians think and feel." ”.

The current name "represents an imposition by a part of Valencians that is now no longer the majority, because the voters decided that those of us who were part of the government of the city of Valencia were other parties that represented other ideas," said Badenas, who He added that they have not yet decided on the new name.

The PP spokesperson in the council, Juan Carlos Caballero, has assured, also at the doors of the plenary session, that he was unaware of this proposal.

The opposition has regretted that “steps back” are being taken in democratic memory and decisions are being adopted that would be “incomprehensible” in any country in Europe.

Rejection and criticism from the opposition

The spokesperson for Compromís, Papi Robles, has indicated that it hurts her to hear Badenas' statements, as she has recalled that Guillem Agulló "was a victim of the fascist terrorism that Vox is encouraging", a party that in her opinion is giving rise to his return. "violence in the streets for a totally ideological issue."

"Not pass.

We cannot allow the city of Valencia to take steps backwards in the democratic memory of all the victims who take a stand against terrorism, whatever it may be,” Robles indicated.

The spokesperson for the socialist group, Sandra Gómez, has criticized that the PP and Vox are going to “erase a very important part” of the history of Valencians with the elimination of the walk dedicated to a person “who fought against fascism and hatred and for freedom and democracy.”

“Once again, the PP and Vox put themselves on the wrong side of history, on the side not only of fascism, but also of the people who murdered Guillem Agulló,” criticized Gómez, for whom it is “something absolutely surprising, which would be irrational, incomprehensible, in any country in Europe.”