Minnesota is the tomb of Fascism, Alex Pretti Memorial

A posting at the Alex Pretti Memorial that reads: "The image is from a famous photo of Madrid in 1937 after the city had withstood an attack by Franco’s forces. The citizens had been helped by the arrival of some units of the International Brigades many of whom were Americans. These Americans were later demonized during the McCarthy era for being premature anti-fascists. We have translated some of the wording of the banner. NO PASARAN translates literally as THEY SHALL NOT PASS. The bottom writing on the banner says that MADRID WILL BE TOMB OF FASCISM. We used a little poetic license to hope that MINNESOTA WILL BE THE TOMB OF FASCISM. We have to keep up the fight for the long-term. We can’t get tired. When we heard the Becca Good, the widow of Renee Good say, “They had guns we had whistles...” It reminded us of what was said after democracy lost the Spanish Civil War. “We had better music, but they had better guns and more of them.” We can’t outshoot them and we shouldn’t try but we can outsmart them." Find more photos like this on my Operation Metro Surge: Ice in Minneapolis page.

Photo taken in September 2026.