Spain prepares to live a week of demonstrations against the so-called Gag Law, which if nothing remedy, shall enter into force on 1 July.
The adoption of the reform of the Penal Code and the Public Safety Act has unleashed a major wave of rejection of a broad social majority, national and international bodies such as the UN , or the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe have criticized harshly, and the Constitutional Court has admitted an appeal of unconstitutionality.
With the count down for entry into force activated , various colecticvos have organized a series of demonstrations across the country to denounce the government’s action, which it considers meets the legitimate demands of society with laws that criminalize poverty, solidarity and legitimate protest.
Many of the calls were made a few hours, or a few minutes before the law takes effect.
Further, a minute later.
While some of its most controversial points have been disappearing or softening as the proceedings progressed, the text remains the main objection unanimously makes the opposition becomes administrative penalties without judicial intervention that judgments were before Fault where a judge decided, as manifest in the vicinity of Congress, for example.
It also allows demonstrations punish whoever calls over the Internet. With the reform of the Penal Code, if you consider that the Internet is used to “overthrow the constitutional order” for instance, you can be considered a terrorist crime.
Presented with the declared aim of guaranteeing civil liberties objective, which the conservative government will be better regulated and protected, the Law was born in response to the first protests of the legislature.
Activists, however, is “a clear attempt to curb new forms of protest, such as preventing dasahucios, in an economic context of crisis that has created a powerful anti-austerity front.
Some groups speak of even the worst news for Spanish democracy from the Franco era
The new law establishes a catalog of offenses from mild to very severe, in addition to any Criminal sanctions may incur administrative fines, without judicial control, has 600,000 euros.
Very serious offenses
They carry fines ranging from 30,000 to 600,000 euros, and are to name a few
-The meetings or events unreported or prohibited in places that are considered critical infrastructure. Outraged camped in the Puerta del Sol in 2011, for example, could have been fined € 600,000 under the new law.
With that same amount is fine holding public events such as concerts, banned by . security reasons
Serious offenses
can result in fines of 1,001 € 30,000:
-The offenses or outrages upon Spain, the Autonomous Communities and Local Government or its institutions, symbols, hymns or emblems, made by any means, when not constitute a crime.
-The serious disturbance of public safety at public events, sports or cultural events, feasts and religious meetings or numerous other offices.
-The participation in disturbances of public safety using hoods, helmets or any other clothing or object that covers the face, preventing or hindering identification.
Ever since there Antidesahucios Platform, over 1,000 evictions have been aborted in Spain.
is, the activists have prevented a public authority to perform an action. And to do so they are guilty of public disorder. If you have not been serious, they face a fine that can reach 30,000 euros.
-The disturbance of public safety to occur at meetings outside the headquarters of the Congress of Deputies, the Senate and the Legislative Assemblies of the autonomous regions, even if they were not meeting, held with failure of the requirements of the Organic Law 9/1983, of July 15.
-The public statements, written or oral, made through any media, and the use of flags, symbols or emblems in order to encourage behavior change in citizen security, violent crime or incite, promote, extol or justify hatred, terrorism, xenophobia, racism, violence against women, or any form of discrimination, provided that they do not constitute a crime.
-The consumption, cultivation or possession of illegal drugs, narcotics or psychotropic substances, even if they were not intended for traffic, in places, roads, transport facilities or . public
Minor infringements
They assume fines of 100 to 1,000 euros:
-The meetings in public places or events
-The public statements made by any media aimed libel or slander are the public institutions, authorities, law enforcement officers or public employees, and the lack of respect and due consideration to the authority or its servants in the performance of their duties.
-The common occupation of any public or private space, other than those permitted by law
Definition of terrorism
In cases the new Penal Code, which was first approved by the votes of a single group, the definition of the crime of terrorism introduced such broad and vague concepts that acts so far deserved a specific criminal sanction will be punished with severity a terrorist act.
Text Critics fear that criticize the government, security forces or the monarchy leads to accusations of terrorism or disproportionate use of the law.
regularly visit web pages with terrorist content filter documents or spread “public messages or slogans intended or which by their content, are suitable for inciting others to commit any of the crimes of this chapter will also be covered by the new law.
Immigration
The original text allowed the Spanish police send immigrants to Morocco when stopped jumping the fences of Ceuta and Melilla “in groups”. Although modifications have been made, the human rights organizations fear how they will implement.
It also allows arbitrary controls people “because of their appearance or race” as the NGO , as the police may be asked to identify anyone who covers all or part of its face.
Organizations critical of the text
High Commissioner for Human Rights UN
Council of Europe
Greenpeace
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
Ecologists in Action
Editorial Board of the New York Times
Full text of the Act Public security and reform of the Penal Code
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