The resolution, published in the Official State Gazette, recognizes the building's role as a center of repression during the Franco dictatorship. According to the official text, since 1941, these premises were a key site where arbitrary detentions and torture occurred against those defending fundamental rights.
Despite the new distinction, the Government has clarified that the declaration does not entail any change in the building's functionality. The headquarters will continue to operate as police facilities in the center of Barcelona. The resolution emphasizes that any future activity must be compatible with the preservation of historical memory and the moral reparation of the victims.
The declaration as a Place of Democratic Memory does not alter the current use.
Various memorialist organizations have expressed their rejection of the decision. They consider that maintaining police use is incompatible with dignifying the space and demand that the building be converted entirely into a center dedicated to the interpretation of torture and pedagogy for future generations.
