may 10, 1931 - Burning of Convents

Description:

Burning of convents took place between may 10 and may 13, 1931, there was over hundreds of convents and many other important religious buildings which were burnt in Spain because of riots that began in Madrid and later spread throughout the country. Many objects which held cultural and artistic value were vandalized and destroyed and several people were killed or injured. On may 10 a right wing group played a recording of the monarchist Marcha Real at an open window while a huge crowd was returning from the Buen Retiro park. The members from the crowd became angry and the next day protests were all across Spain. Some members of the new government of the Spanish Republic wanted to restore the order in their streets but others didn't such as Manuel Azaña who said "all the convents of Spain are not worth the life of a single Republican, if the Guardia Civil is deployed, I resign."