Guernica stands in solidarity with Gaza
JVL Introduction
In December 2023, the Spanish town of Guernica mounted its own, unique protest against the bombing of Gaza when, in a grass-roots initiative, hundreds of people formed a human mosaic, dressed in the red, black, white and green of the Palestinian flag.
The mosaic (see screengrab above) was of the Palestinian flag and incorporated an image from Picasso’s Guernica.
We carry an article about this solidarity protest from the People’s Despatch (“an international media project with the mission of bringing to you voices from people’s movements and organizations across the globe”), link to a short video of the event and reproduce a poem inspired by Guernica by Trevor Harrison, published by Canadian Dimension.
Guernica stands in solidarity with Gaza
People’s Despatch, 12th December 2023
The people of Guernica, which was bombed by fascists and Nazis during the Spanish Civil War, urged the international community to share the suffering of the Palestinian people who are reeling under relentless Israeli bombing
A poster for the event [Courtesy of Guernica Palestine organisation]
In the event organized by the Guernica-Palestine Citizens’ Initiative, citizens, trade unionists, artists, anti-fascist groups, anti-war groups, and activists from left-wing parties, including the United Left (IU), condemned the Israeli bombardment of Palestinian people. The city’s anti-aircraft siren sounded for a minute, drawing parallels between Guernica’s enduring pain from the bombing it faced during the Spanish Civil War and the ongoing airstrikes faced by the people of Gaza.
Guernica is a historically significant city in the Basque region of Spain that was bombarded on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italian air forces in support of their ally, the Spanish military general Francisco Franco. The infamous bombing of the city, which was a stronghold of the Republican forces, was one of the events that paved the way for the Fanco’s capture of northern Spain.
Hundreds of civilians were killed in the bombing which evoked widespread outrage across the world. Renowned artist Pablo Picasso’s landmark painting ‘Guernica’ was in response to the brutal bombing. It is regarded as an exemplary anti-war painting in modern history.
In its statement on the Palestine solidarity event, the Guernica-Palestine Citizens’ Initiative insisted that the world and history must not accept a new Guernica and that “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The international community [must] share the suffering of the Palestinian people and stop the massacre.”
On December 10, on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Basque Federation of the United Left (IU) stated “What is happening in Gaza is a genocide contrary to ideals envisaged by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Click on the image below to play the video
Guernica, now and then
Canadian Dimension, 28th November 2023
“Guernica” is a large 1937 oil painting by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. It is one of his best-known works, regarded by many art critics as the most powerful anti-war painting in history. Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Guernica, now and then
Trevor Harrison
I stand before Guernica, the
familiar canvas of dismembered
bodies, dead babies and
soldiers; a weeping mother, a
shrieking horse; once remembered
for its chronicle of carnage,
warnings of mass murder
to come, enough to move
the dial from tragedy
to statistic, now forgotten.
Silence has settled upon
the world, snuffed out by
apologists for the
sacred State’s need for
human sacrifice.
In Madrid and Cordoba
jasmine petals loose
their fragrance; the
oranges fall to
the ground.
In Gaza and Israel
combatants loose
their bombs and
bullets; the bodies
fall, broken petals.
Peace protests and beauty bloom
in the Spanish squares. I ask:
By what right
do I enjoy this now?
By what right
do I not?
The burden of
living is
to live
while others are
dying.
Trevor Harrison is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lethbridge.