Thirtieth anniversary of Tejero coup

Thirty years after the failed coup of 23 February 1981, El Paísis celebrating "the living memory of 23-F.” That day a group of the Civil Guards, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio Tejero, stormed the Spanish Parliament and held the deputies there until the next morning. This trial by fire for Spain’s then nascent democracy, "remains fresh in the memory" of the nation, writes the Madrid daily, noting that 46 percent of Spaniards remember it "very clearly and brightly", while 73 percent think this date should be commemorated "to ensure it will never happen again." Seventy percent also believe that the intervention of King Juan Carlos was decisive in defeating the coup. “It was an event that should be remembered as a permanent example of what never to do. Fortunately, in our current social reality, that it could happen again is simply unthinkable", concludes El País.