THE UPG PAYS TRIBUTE TO MONCHO REBOIRAS ON THE 35TH ANNIVERARY OF HIS ASSASSINATION
Once again, the Galizan People's Union (UPG) chose the town of Ferrol for its annual tribute to Xosé Ramón Reboiras Noia, better known as 'Moncho' Reboiras, where he met his death 35 years ago at the hands of Franco's police.
Shot dead at the age of 25, Moncho Reboiras was a member of the Central Committee and the Executive Committee of the UPG and one of our Party's main leaders, playing a key role in setting up the first nationalist workers' groups, which laid the foundations for what was to become today's Galizan Inter-Union Confederation (CIG). He was also responsible for setting up the Party's Cultural Front and for the UPG evolving into a fully-fledged Patriotic Communist Party in 1972.
The commemorations involved the laying of a wreath in front of the doorway of the building where our comrade was killed on 12 August 1975, followed by speeches by Xoán Xosé Pita, Party member and local spokesperson for the Galizan Nationalist Bloc (BNG) and Francisco Rodríguez, General Secretary of the UPG and member of the Executive of the BNG patriotic front. The event ended with the International and the Galizan National Anthem.
Xoán Xosé Pita underlined the need to keep alive the memory of Moncho Reboiras as a great organiser who helped pave the way for Galizan nationalism as we know it today.
In his address, Francisco Rodríguez analysed the current situation in Galiza within the framework of the economic crisis and the role played by the ruling Spanish Popular Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in the Galizan and Spanish governments respectively, both of which are part of the system and therefore equally committed to undertaking measures based on the the same neoliberal policies which actually gave rise to the current situation.
In order to counter this situation, the General Secretary of the UPG sent out a call to follow on in the footsteps of Moncho Reboiras, working for the good of Galiza and its working classes, involving the following specific a_ctions at this particular moment in time:
- Campaigning for the success of the General Strike set for 29 September, by ensuring that focuses on the true needs of Galiza and the working classes as defended by the Galizan trade union CIG, rather than bowing to the Spanish unions who favour of a social pact;
- Popularising the proposal for a new National Statute for Galiza to be announced by the BNG over the next few weeks, in order to raise the awareness of Galizan society regarding the need for a new kind of relationship between Galiza and the Spanish State as a step along the road to self-determination;
- Strengthening the BNG in the local councils by fielding the best candidates and canvassing for the local elections set for 2011.
NB: Please find attached photos of the event plus a link to a video of the commemoration.
