International Brigade Memorial Trust
The IBMT’s annual International Brigade commemoration will take place on Saturday 1 July from 1pm-2pm at the International Brigade Memorial in Jubilee Gardens (off Belvedere Road) on London’s Southbank.
The event remembers the 2,500 men and women from the British Isles who fought fascism and defended democracy during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39. Of these, 526 gave their lives.
Among the speakers this year will be poet and children’s writer Michael Rosen and Herminio Martínez, one of the nearly 4,000 Basque refugee children who arrived in Britain in May 1937 during Franco’s terror bombing campaign against Guernica and other towns in northern Spain.
Two leading trade unionists will also address the gathering: Len McCluskey of Unite and Tosh McDonald of ASLEF.
Music will be provided by Maddy Carty and Na-mara.
This 2017 commemoration will mark the 80th anniversaries of the battles of Jarama and Brunete and the bombing of Guernica.
Wreaths will be laid and a minute’s silence will be followed by the singing of ‘Jarama Valley’, the unofficial song of the British Battalion in Spain.
Wreath-layers are asked to notify the IBMT of their intention to lay a wreath so that their names can be called out during the ceremony (email: secretary@international-brigades.org.uk).
Unions and their branches are also invited to bring their banners.
Afterwards there will be an informal gathering from 2.30pm at the nearby Horse & Artichoke (122-124, Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7RW).
Posted on 5 June 2017.
