During the difficult and long months of the political transition from Francoism to the party , Hondarribia became the scene of one of the most painful bloodshed events of the period. After the celebration of the alarde on September 8, 1976, when a crowd filled the streets of the Marina neighborhood, the formation of a small demonstration in favor of amnesty for ETA prisoners prompted the intervention of the Armed Police and Civil Guard, who suddenly used riot control equipment. During one of the charges, as people tried to take refuge in doorways and alleys, the twenty-two-year-old Irundarra Jesús Mari Zabala, a regular participant in the alarde with the Mendelu company, was fatally wounded. From that moment on, the festivities turned into a collective mourning. The authorities’ dinner with the Civil Governor at the castle was suspended, as were dances, dinners, and celebrations. The following day, Mercedes Iridoy, mayor of Hondarribia, resigned along with the rest of the municipal council. On September 10, the province of Guipuzcoa went on a general strike, marked by incidents and demonstrations. A massive demonstration, led by Mrs. Iridoy, took place despite the ban, following the funeral held at the church of Hondarribia on September 11.