Five things Spains gag law will stop you doing

from today
Protesting in front of Congress and other risky actions carry fines of up to 600,000

Greenpeace unfurls banner against Spains new gag law next to Congress
J. JIMNEZ GLVEZ Madrid 1 JUL 2015 - 08:42 CEST

Recomendar en Facebook2.995

Twittear319

Enviar a LinkedIn17

Enviar a Google +20

Comentarios

A Greenpeace activist gags one one the stone lions presiding the Spanish Congress to protest the Citizen Safety Law. / PEDRO ARMESTRE (EFE)

The countdown has ended. The governments new Citizen Safety Law went into effect on Wednesday despite widespread
rejection from opposition parties and many sections of society.
Demonstrations will be freer because they will be protected from violent elements, claims the ruling Popular Party
(PP).
But the opposition accuses the government of creating a police state because law enforcement officers will have the
power to hand out administrative sanctions that were, until now, the sole preserve of judges.
The following are five things that will be limited by the new gag law, as its critics call it.

Demonstrating near Congress and the Senate

The law considers an offense any serious perturbation of citizen security in front of Congress, the Senate or regional
assemblies, even if the legislature is not in session at the time. But what constitutes perturbing citizen security?
wonders Greenpeace, denouncing that this decision will now be in the arbitrary hands of the police. This measure was
introduced at the time when social protest movements such as Surround Congress arose in Spain.

Taking photographs of police officers

Video cameras have become commonplace at protests in recent years. And social networks are being used to disseminate
recordings that have captured police abuse on more than one occasion, and have later been used as evidence against
officers. This will be harder starting on July 1, as the Citizen Safety Law imposes penalties on the unauthorized use of
images or personal or professional information about police officers that could endanger their personal safety or that
of their families, of protected facilities or endanger the success of a police operation. Amnesty International has
complained about this, noting that journalists and other individuals private recordings have occasionally helped report
the use of excessive force by the police.

Stopping a home eviction

Greenpeace activists climbed the refrigeration towers at the Cofrentes nuclear plant in 2011. / GREENPEACE

In the name of citizen security, the new legislation bans and criminalizes such common practices as stopping a home
eviction, says PAH, a support association for home loan borrowers in trouble. The PP once went so far as to suggest ties
between PAH and the Basque terrorist group ETA. The new law will make PAHs actions harder, as the police will be
able to sanction individuals who obstruct any authority, public employee or official corporation in the exercise of
administrative or judicial agreements or resolutions.

Protesting from above

As per the new legislation, police officers may slap fines on anyone found climbing buildings or monuments without
authorization when there is a clear risk of damage to persons or goods. This article seems tailor-made to stop the kind
of public campaigns staged by Greenpeace, this organization notes. In this case, the offense is committed without the
need for disturbing the peace or harming citizen security, notes a Greenpeace release. It will be enough for the police to
consider that a risk exists.

Peaceful resistance and sit-ins

The new law means the end of peaceful resistance, say non-profit groups. The police will be able to fine anyone who
refuses to break up gatherings and demonstrations in public places after the relevant authority has ordered it.