Spain — Stiff-armed fascist salutes and chants insulting gays and immigrants marked the 31st anniversary of the death of Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco.
Hundreds of right-wing supporters, mostly retirees, on Sunday waved red-and-yellow Spanish flags with the insignia of the Franco regime's Falange party at the annual rally in Plaza de Oriente, beside Madrid's royal palace.
The square was where Franco used to regularly address hundreds of thousands of supporters at rallies during his near 40 years in power. Franco died Nov. 20, 1975, at age 82.
Since his death, dwindling numbers of nostalgic supporters commemorate his death on the Sunday closest to Nov. 20. Police gave no official estimate for the attendance on Sunday but witnesses estimated less than 1,000 people participated.
Those in attendance heard speeches denouncing the policies of Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez - including the legalization of gay marriage - and against the influx of immigrants into Spain in recent years.
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