The old legionaries against the removal of a street to its founder – Terra Peru

Veterans of the Spanish Legion have rebelled today against the plans of the Madrid city Council to remove the name of its founder, general José Millán-Astray, to a street of the Spanish capital.

Hundreds of people came today to a rally, claimed by the Brotherhood of Former Knights Legionnaires, to express their discomfort against the city Council, led by mayor Manuela Carmena to the front of a left-wing coalition.

A city commission has proposed to change the name of twenty-seventh streets, between them the of Millán-Astray, due to their relationship with the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975).

The Spanish Legion was founded in September 1920 by José Millán Astray (1879-1954), a soldier, very well known in Spain for decades, and was inspired to do this in the French foreign Legion.

The military suffered injuries in various races -he lost an arm and an eye – and his personality went beyond his merits military.

One of the most famous episodes starred by the military was a few months after the start of the civil war (1936-1939), the altercation he had with the rector of the University of Salamanca, Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), a writer and thinker of great prestige.

At a public event at the university, Millán-Astray interrupted the speech of Unamuno with cries of “long Live death! It dies the intelligence!”, to which the rector replied with a famous phrase, addressed to the military rebels: “you will win, but not convenceréis”.

this is Precisely the intention of the Madrid city Council is to change the name of the street in general by the Avenue of the Intelligence.

In the concentration of today’s veterans legionaries were willing to go to court to keep the street from its founder, and even to change the plates all the times that the City of madrid put the Avenue of the Intelligence.

was present At the ceremony Pilgrim Millán-Astray, the daughter of the soldier, who ducked controversy. “I do what I want is that we live in peace, quiet; my father is already in another dimension, Unamuno in the other also, and what is important is the Legion.”