Por Pablo Arranz 
Esquerra Unida Podem regrets that the event «has been a failure due to the low attendance and lack of sensitivity»
ALICANTE, 25 (EUROPA PRESS)
The city of Alicante commemorated this Sunday the 87th anniversary of the bombing at the Central Market by fascist aviation, during the Civil War, in which more than 300 people died and a thousand were injured, and called for «working for peace, without partisanship or exclusions.»
This was stated by the mayor of the city, Luis Barcala, at an event organized by the Department of Culture in the Plaza del 25 de Mayo, attended by members of the government team; the Consul of Italy, Danilo Angelini; the head of the Municipal Memory department, Pablo Rosser, representatives of the Association of Municipal Market Traders, and neighbors of the Central Market, as indicated by the city council in a statement.
During his speech, the mayor noted that «on May 25, 1938, Alicante suffered the largest number of casualties from aerial attack in the entire Civil War»: «90 bombs dropped by Italian fascist aviation around noon, with a crowded market due to an abundant sardine catch, something unusual, caused this massacre.»
«Today is April 25, the same time, the same place. And we want to remember with pain and respect the 300 people from Alicante, men, women, and children, whose lives were taken, and the over a thousand who were injured,» he emphasized.
Barcala highlighted that «the City Council of Alicante, representing all Alicante residents, once again pays this deserved tribute, this reminder and call to reflection to commit to working for peace and in defense of the innocent who suffer the consequences of wars and conflicts.»
«We reflect on this, without exclusions, without partisanship, without making any use of what is the memory of all. Because the tragedy was everyone’s; because the memory is everyone’s; because the pain reached everyone; and because the responsibility to prevent it from happening again is everyone’s. And without everyone, none of this will be possible,» he stated, adding that «those who try to appropriate and capitalize on the pain suffered by all sow the seed to continue suffering, because a peaceful future cannot be built from hatred.»
The mayor concluded his speech with the reading of Miguel Hernández’s poem ‘Tristes Guerras’ and observed a minute of silence for all attendees. Subsequently, a floral offering was made at the memorial of the victims located at the entrance of the Central Market.
A wind quartet of students from the Superior Music Conservatory Óscar Esplá performed the piece ‘Prima Luce’ by Sixto Herrero at the beginning of the event and ‘Nana y el Paño Moruno’ (Spanish popular songs) by Manuel de Falla during the floral offering and as a finale to the tribute to the victims of the bombing.
«FAILURE»
On the other hand, the spokesperson for the municipal group Esquerra Unida Podem in the Alicante City Council, Manolo Copé, lamented that this event «has been a failure, not only due to the low attendance – around 40 people – but also due to the absolute lack of sensitivity and historical commitment shown by this government team.»
«A fascist bombing that claimed the lives of over 300 innocent people cannot be remembered with institutional coldness or empty democratic content,» he argued.
For the councilor, «it is very significant that neither the mayor nor the Councilor of Culture wanted to make statements to the press.» In this regard, he asked, «What are they hiding? Is it so difficult for them to call things by their name? The citizens deserve an explanation and, above all, a commemoration that is commensurate with the pain and memory of Alicante.»
Copé stated that «forgetfulness and lukewarmness only contribute to whitewashing what was a war crime committed against the civilian population by the Italian aviation in the service of Franco»: «The people of Alicante deserve a vibrant, participatory, and deeply anti-fascist memory.»
«From Esquerra Unida Podem, we will continue to demand a real institutional recognition, involving educational centers, memorialist associations, and organized citizens. Because remembering is also resisting, and Alicante does not forget,» he concluded.