General Strike in Barcelona, 1951

After twelve years of rule by General Franco the city of Barcelona came out for a one day General Strike. After the strike ended the city was quiet, although guards still watched worshippers outside the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. The strike was not overtly party political and was supported by most sections of society; among the strikers were labourers, artisans, Catholic youth, radicals, Falangists, even some of the big employers. They were protesting not just against Franco but also against the corruption that characterised his administration and against the notorious black market that was slowly starving Spain. Although the demonstrators were unarmed, shots were fired into mobs who paradoxically were calling "Viva Franco" ! . | Location: Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)