Family Objects to Image Use
The family of Celestí Boada i Salvador, mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramenet during the Spanish Civil War and executed by Franco’s regime in 1939, has condemned the use of his image on a poster for an LGBTIAQ+ event. The poster was issued by the Casal Republicà Alcalde Boada de Santa Coloma, a community association linked to Esquerra Republicana (ERC), which uses a stylised representation of Boada’s face as its logo. Albert Boada, grandson of the former mayor, stated he was not consulted and did not authorise the use of his grandfather’s name or likeness. He described the poster as a "crude thing" that trivialises a man sentenced to death for political reasons.
It doesn't seem worthy of my grandfather's memory. You can't trivialize everything.
He stressed the issue was not with the LGBTIAQ+ theme itself. "For me, it could be a sardana festival. The problem is that this recreational party has nothing to do with my grandfather's trajectory," he told El Món.
Historical Figure Misused, Says Family
Celestí Boada served as mayor between October 1936 and May 1938, representing Esquerra Republicana and the Unió de Rabassaires. After Francoist forces entered Santa Coloma on 27 January 1939, Boada returned to the town and was arrested in May 1939 following a denunciation by Fernando Rovira Fita, local leader of the Falange. He was tried by a summary court-martial at the Palau de Justícia in Barcelona under Sumaríssim d’urgència number 7.822 and executed on 18 October 1939 at Camp de la Bota, according to municipal records from Santa Coloma de Gramenet's official website. The family notes they have no ties to the Casal Republicà Alcalde Boada, which is registered with the Department of Justice and Democratic Quality with a board of 14 members, none of whom are related to Boada. This is not the first time the family feels Boada’s legacy has been compromised. When a square in Barcelona’s Bon Pastor neighbourhood was proposed to be named after him, ERC initially opposed the motion. Carlos Rodríguez Escudero, then linked to Sant Andreu District Council, objected, later prompting intervention by Alfred Bosch, who admitted the error and apologised.
The misfortune that exists in a family after an execution is very great.
Albert Boada said he is considering legal action over possible moral damages due to the unauthorised use of his grandfather’s image. He demanded that ERC, given its perceived connection to the association, remove the poster immediately. The family insists that Celestí Boada’s memory should remain tied to his political commitment and role in defending the Republic, not to festive events.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by elmon.cat, gramenet.cat, ca.wikipedia.org, xeu.cat, 3Cat, elespanol.com, irla.cat, elperiodico.cat, museu.gramenet.cat, verificat.cat.
