Madrid - Spaniards on the far right and left marked the 25th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco yesterday with nostalgic memorials and protests, one of which was broken up by police.
The man who ruled Spain for 36 years died, aged 82, on November 20th, 1975. Several hundred admirers of Franco rallied in front of Madrid's royal palace.
Nearby, hundreds of communists, anarchists and leftists staged a protest march that was violently broken up by police. Police said trouble began when protesters threw bottles at them and smashed windows. Riot police responded by firing small rubber balls into the crowd and using truncheons.