Saló de l’Ensenyament opens amid controversy over military presence

The mobilisation, called by the platform Desmilitaritzem l’Educació and supported by trade unions, denounced that the Army's participation in this type of event “is not training, but recruitment”. Demonstrators unfurled banners with slogans such as “weapons do not educate, weapons kill” and chanted against the military presence in educational spaces.

The protest unfolded peacefully for more than half an hour, although it made it necessary to reinforce security and drew the attention of visitors and exhibitors on the opening day itself. This type of action is not new: opposition to the Army's presence at the fair has been repeated for more than a decade.

The international context, marked by armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions, has reignited the debate about what role military institutions should have in environments linked to education and career guidance.

The scene once again raises a question that divides the city: whether these spaces should focus exclusively on academic education or open up to other career paths. At an event where thousands of young people decide their future, the presence of certain actors generates reactions that go beyond the venue itself. After this start, the Saló will continue until the weekend with its usual programme. The question is whether the controversy will continue or whether the debate will once again move outside the fair in the coming days.