74
me on that day on the grounds that, in my case, there could be no political
connotations. Because of the timing, it was seen by many people who, like us,
were anxious for news of the outcome of the elections. It gave great visibility
to our astrophysical project.
Two terrible events shook us all in that year of 1977: the killing in Calle de
Atocha in Madrid of five labour lawyers in January, and the collision in March
of two Jumbo jets at Los Rodeos Airport (they had been redirected from Las
Palmas after a terrorist attack alert). To complete the tragic toll, the year closed
with yet another doleful occurrence: on 12 December, on the very steps of the
University of La Laguna, Javier Quesada, a student, died from gunshot
wounds at the hands of the forces of public order.
That was the final straw. The University erupted; indignant and angry students abandoned their lecture halls and took over the University. When the
telephone rang at the switchboard callers were greeted with, ‘This is the
Commune of the University of La Laguna. How may we help you?’ The
Chancellor took fright and absconded; seeking refuge at the ministry in
Madrid. ‘He told himself to be gone,’ as they say in the Canaries. Faced with
this lack of governance, the Governing Council (vice-chancellors and deans)
met secretly in the building of the Faculty of Medicine, which was not located
Fig. 9.2 Bouquet of flowers and posters at the entrance of the University of La Laguna
marking the fortieth anniversary of the killing of ULL student Javier Fernández
Quesada in 1977. (Credit: María Nuria Peña Alonso/ULL)
F. Sánchez
me on that day on the grounds that, in my case, there could be no political
connotations. Because of the timing, it was seen by many people who, like us,
were anxious for news of the outcome of the elections. It gave great visibility
to our astrophysical project.
Two terrible events shook us all in that year of 1977: the killing in Calle de
Atocha in Madrid of five labour lawyers in January, and the collision in March
of two Jumbo jets at Los Rodeos Airport (they had been redirected from Las
Palmas after a terrorist attack alert). To complete the tragic toll, the year closed
with yet another doleful occurrence: on 12 December, on the very steps of the
University of La Laguna, Javier Quesada, a student, died from gunshot
wounds at the hands of the forces of public order.
That was the final straw. The University erupted; indignant and angry students abandoned their lecture halls and took over the University. When the
telephone rang at the switchboard callers were greeted with, ‘This is the
Commune of the University of La Laguna. How may we help you?’ The
Chancellor took fright and absconded; seeking refuge at the ministry in
Madrid. ‘He told himself to be gone,’ as they say in the Canaries. Faced with
this lack of governance, the Governing Council (vice-chancellors and deans)
met secretly in the building of the Faculty of Medicine, which was not located
Fig. 9.2 Bouquet of flowers and posters at the entrance of the University of La Laguna
marking the fortieth anniversary of the killing of ULL student Javier Fernández
Quesada in 1977. (Credit: María Nuria Peña Alonso/ULL)
F. Sánchez