Spain’s ‘People’s Olympiad’: The largest Olympics protest that never was

The World

In 1936, left-leaning athletes from around the world came to Barcelona to hold alternative games as a protest against the official ones hosted by Adolf Hitler, in Berlin. But another fascist — Spanish coup leader Francisco Franco — spoiled their plans. The Olympiad’s opening day coincided with the start of the Spanish Civil War. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona.

Will you support The World with a monthly donation?

Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!