Outrage as footage of soldiers singing along to Franco song emerges online

FOOTAGE of the Spanish infantry signing a song associated with the Franco regime has sparked controversy after emerging online. 

In the clip soldiers can allegedly be heard chanting the words to Primavera (Spring), a song first sang by the Blue Division, a fascist unit of Spanish volunteers who fought for Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

A journalist who posted the video online caption the clip ‘Day of the patron saint of the infantry”, which is celebrated annually on December 8, the day it was said to be shot. 

One commenter slammed the video, saying it proved ‘cleansing of institutionalised fascism at the top of law enforcement is more necessary than ever’. 

But another commented that it was simply a song ‘about longing for home’.

He added:  It’s like I’m singing Lili Marlene and you’re telling me I’m a Nazi for singing a song the soldiers sang in the trenches.”

The video comes as the Spanish Government announced plans to make it illegal to defend Franco’s regime. 

First presented to the cabinet in September, the democratic memory bill, would ban foundations with public money that exalt totalitarianism.

Francisco Franco Foundation, which was set up by sympathisers in 1976, was the target of the new law. 

Sanchez said: “We will ban and make illegal the foundations that defend the Francoist dictatorship, like, for instance, the Francisco Franco Foundation.”