NOVANEWS
A woman protests against the new law for policing demonstrations, in central Madrid
Spain’s citizen security law aims has been criticized by international human rights organizations.
Spain’s senate approved the controversial law of citizen security, known as the gag law, Thursday.
The legislation was passed 134 votes to 84, but it is yet to be approved by to the lower chamber before the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, of the Popular Party, writes it into law.
The law prohibits citizens from recording or taking pictures of the police, and forces every citizen to show their identification card if requested by officials. Any demonstration that takes place outside parliament, or other buildings which provide “basic public services,” will be considered illegal, regardless of their nature.
Furthermore, it grants authorities the right to perform immediate deportations and to legally disband peaceful demonstrations, while punishing any citizen that resists eviction.
Eviction resistance is a common practice in Spain, after it became widespread when the economic crisis broke out in 2008. For example, between April and June this year there were 18,749 evictions.
The law also implements new fines of up to 30,000 euros (US$31,500) if a demonstration is considered by authorities to be unlawful. Any action considered a “lack of respect” toward authorities can also be sanctioned under the new legislation.
International human rights organizations have criticized the law due to the excess of power that it gives police and the lack of accountability mechanisms to prevent abuses.
The legislation was passed 134 votes to 84, but it is yet to be approved by to the lower chamber before the conservative government of Mariano Rajoy, of the Popular Party, writes it into law.
The law prohibits citizens from recording or taking pictures of the police, and forces every citizen to show their identification card if requested by officials. Any demonstration that takes place outside parliament, or other buildings which provide “basic public services,” will be considered illegal, regardless of their nature.
Furthermore, it grants authorities the right to perform immediate deportations and to legally disband peaceful demonstrations, while punishing any citizen that resists eviction.
Eviction resistance is a common practice in Spain, after it became widespread when the economic crisis broke out in 2008. For example, between April and June this year there were 18,749 evictions.
The law also implements new fines of up to 30,000 euros (US$31,500) if a demonstration is considered by authorities to be unlawful. Any action considered a “lack of respect” toward authorities can also be sanctioned under the new legislation.
International human rights organizations have criticized the law due to the excess of power that it gives police and the lack of accountability mechanisms to prevent abuses.
