I’m going to take a break from my usual fandom stuff and talk about the Gag Law aproved yesterday in Spain.
Despite 82% of Spaniards being against this law, and all opposition parties being also against it, the goverment pass this bill yesterday. The #GagLaw criminalize non-violent protests and activist movements, give police inmense power, and virtually legalize human rights abuses. Let me explain some points of the act:
Sanction for RECORDING OR TAKING PHOTOS OF THE POLICE between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds). Example: The police is kicking a person in front of you, you take your cell phone and film or take photos of the agression. You are the one committing an offense.
Sanction for NON-VIOLENT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds).
Sanctions for MASS MEETINGS OR DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF THE CONGRESS, SENATE OR SIMILAR ADMINISTRATIONS, between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds).
Sanction for pacefully occupy a bank as a protest, between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds).
Sanction for not ending a protest or demonstration when the police says so, between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds).
Sanction for an assembly or a mass meeting in a public space, between 100 and 600€ (=125 - 745 USDollars, or 80 - 475 GBPounds).
Sanction for eviction resistance between 600 and 30.000€ (= 745 - 37000 USDollars, or 475 - 24000 GBPounds). Eviction resistance is a very common practice in Spain since the crisis started, just in 2012 around 40,000 families were evicted from their homes.
This law legalizes too they so-called “HOT” OR IMMEDIATE REPATRIATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS on the borders of Spain with Morocco. These inmediate repatration break European and international laws and infringe Human rights. The inmigrants taken by the border’s police are returned to Morocco without being identified (they can be politic or war refugees) and sometimes while they are injured and without medical assistance.
This bill legalizes black list of activists, protesters and alternative press. Lists we all know existed but were denied by public forces and the goverment.
The Gag Law legalizes arbitrary police controls BASED ON ETHNIC PROFILES.
This act also legalizes pre-emptive raids without any requirement at all, or any disrupt of the public security. It also allows police to performance external body searches at their discretion.
These are just the highlights of the Gag Law, it was passed yesterday at the Congress, it will be effective by 2015, Spain will be back to the times of Franco dictatorship in matter of civil and human rights, please SPREAD THE WORD.
Sources: in English Popular Party Uses Majority To Pass Citizens’ Safety Bill
Spanish Parliament aproves controversial Security Law
Protecting citizens or Silencing them?
Fuentes: en español Con la Ley Mordaza el PP recupera el franquismo
Activistas, Plataformas Ciudadanas y ONG en contra de la Ley Mordaza
La mayoria absoluta del PP aprueba las devoluciones ilegales en la frontera.
