One by one, in front of Brigadier Francisco García-Almenta Alonso, Chief of the MOE and Military Commander of Alicante, over 400 civilians joined the assembled military, as they kissed the flag of Spain on Saturday, promising to “defend the collective interests in order to contribute to the common good”.
Known as the Civil Flag Oath Jura, the ceremony is one of the most solemn acts which exists in Spain and in which any Spanish civilian can participate.
Earlier in the week Police Officers had taken part in a number of beach rescues up and down the coastline as two people died in Torrevieja and Guardamar. Social media was awash with criticism of a lack of lifeguards, with Pilar de la Horadada the only municipality to have life beach attendants on duty in May.
