Barcelona City Council Removes the Coat of Arms of Juan Carlos

Barcelona City Council removes the coat of arms of King Juan Carlos from the obelisk in the Plaza del Cinc d’Oros.

The Barcelona City Council has removed the coat of arms of Juan Carlos I from the obelisk in the Plaza del Cinc d’Oros in Barcelona to transfer it to municipal offices for preservation.

This Saturday, the Consistory reported the removal of the shield, with the change of name of the square continuing, which until 2017 held the name of the monarch emeritus.

However, the City Council now maintains that the coat of arms was “decontextualised” in a square with “a name recovered from popular tradition” and that “historically it was thought to vindicate the Republic” and President Francesc Pi i Margall.

The Department of Democratic Memory also considers that the shield “demonstrates the privileges that the monarchy still has.” The document issued by the City Council emphasises that “at a time like this, we want to vindicate republican values ​​and recover the popular origin of public art and the city’s gazetteer.”

The withdrawal of the shield follows the Barcelona City Council’s decision to withdraw the gold medal of the City from Juan Carlos I for his controversies in recent years. These controversies include his participation in an elephant hunt in Botswana in 2012, and his departure to the United Arab Emirates last summer, according to the statement.

It has been said these actions: “call into question your ethical and moral integrity as a citizen and as a public servant” and “do not meet the principle of exemplarity and encouragement to carry out actions that entail a benefit for the community represented by honours and awards from the Barcelona City Council.”

Source: La Sexta