There was a great deal of flag-waving in Madrid as supporters of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco marked 30 years since his death on Sunday.

Old soldiers with fond memories of the regime in which the fascist leader kept a vice-like grip on the country turned out with younger hard-right supporters for a rally in Madrid. They condemned the current socialist government for legalising gay marriage and promoting regional autonomy. Amnesty International estimates that 30,000 people died or disappeared during the Spanish civil war under Franco’s rule, which ended with his death in November 1975. Many victims were buried in mass graves or secret cemeteries – with families left to investigate themselves.

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