Madrid's last Franco statue pulled down

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2005

MADRID (AFP) — A bronze statue of General Francisco Franco, the last symbol of the military dictator in the Spanish capital, was pulled down on government orders.

The statue of Franco on horseback, erected on the Plaza San Juan de la Cruz in central Madrid in 1959, was pulled down under police supervision at 2:40 am (0140 GMT) and driven away by truck to a public works ministry depot.

The operation had not been advertised and only a small group of bystanders and the curious saw the statue come down.

Some clapped, others shouted, causing tense scenes between supporters and opponents of the initiative.

Images of Franco being hauled away dominated the front page of Thursday's newspapers. "Franco's last parade," headlined the centre-right El Mundo....