Spain Government Goes Full Police State; Enacts Law Forbidding Dissent, 'Unauthorized' Photography Of Law Enforcement
from the shut-up-citizen-or-we'll-put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is dept
Well, Spain's officially a police state now. On July 1st, its much-protested "gag" law went into effect, instantly making criminals of those protesting the new law. Among the many new repressive stipulations is a €30,000-€600,000 fine for "unauthorized protests," which can be combined for maximum effect with a €600-€300,000 fine for "disrupting public events."
This horrible set of statutes has arisen from Spain's position as a flashpoint for anti-austerity protests, the European precursor to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Fines, fines and more fines await anyone who refuses to treat authority with the respect it's forcibly requiring citizens to show it.
The law also extends its anti-protest punishments to social media, where users can face similar fines for doing nothing more than encouraging or organizing a protest. Failing to present ID when commanded is another fine. And then there's this:
Showing a "lack of respect" to those in uniform or failing to assist security forces in the prevention of public disturbances could result in an individual fine of between €600 and €30,000.Spain's legislators thought of everything. To ensure these crackdowns on protests go off with a minimum of public backlash, "respected" police officers are being given a blank check to use as much force as they feel necessary when breaking up "unauthorized protests." The law doesn't directly instruct police to behave badly, but it does provide a very helpful increase in opacity.
A clause in the wide-ranging legislation that critics have dubbed the "gag law" provides for fines of up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) for "unauthorized use" of images of working police that could identify them, endanger their security or hinder them from doing their jobs.Somehow, the Spanish government has managed to find an expectation of privacy within its public spaces and applied it to its public servants. While the law does make some provision for the public's "right to know," it also defers to law enforcement's judgment when it comes to what is or isn't "authorized use" of photographs/video depicting police performing their public duties.
Obviously, this small nod towards the public's rights is completely insincere. The government wants to clamp down on protests and it obviously can't be embarrassed by award-winning photographs/video of its police officers beating civilians wholly uninvolved with the protests that so angried up the cops' blood.
Victora Lerena, president of Spain's association representing visual journalists, thinks the language about freedom of information will protect journalists, but predicts anyone who tries to take images of police at protests without media organization credentials could be at risk.This is likely true, considering the "credentialed" press already blurs officers' faces when reporting. But the most damning images of police misconduct usually come from unofficial sources, and even the most aggressive of mainstream news outlets frequently defer to the government's judgment when reporting on alleged police abuse.
Spain has outlawed dissent and given the police extra protections and respect they haven't earned. That's as close to a police state as you can get without actually declaring martial law.
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Filed Under: dissent, free speech, photographs, spain
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Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
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So how soon before Spain is on fire?
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Re:
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How do you say...
What's next? Gas chambers for dissidents? Goose-stepping police? Book burning?
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Re: How do you say...
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Re: How do you say...
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Re: How do you say...
——Wikipedia: “Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead”
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Do you want a Spanish Civil War II?
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Curious to see what country/state follows Spain's direction next.
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They go all in...
Like the "war" against piracy they really go all in to destroy peoples lives.
It is sickening to watch them spew garbage that people are oh so violent and depraved when the only thing pulling our society down into a dark and very bad place, is actually our so-called leaders.
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This will also put Spain more in line with other tourist destinations like Somalia and Iran.
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So, the proper way to practice the fine old tradition of civil disobedience to inform your elected representatives of your disapproval of the situation is in your locked, darkened, preferably soundproofed, basement alone.
You're adding nothing to the discussion. Imbeciles like you should be locked up to keep you from hurting yourselves.
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As if that's any dumber than mountain climbing, hockey, UFC or boxing, "chug, chug, chug" night at the frat house, or a thousand other stupid things people do.
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It's a gag law, all right.
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Something to keep in mind
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We should live by what we preach.
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Re: So how soon before Spain is on fire?
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Re: Something to keep in mind
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The spanish government has for a while now been building up a stock of heavy weaponry and discussing (in private with corporations natch) about essentially giving them control of it's finances and legal systems because Spains economy is spinning badly out of control.
They've hidden HUNDREDS of billions in debt from the public (taken by el presidente effectively) and stolen land from immigrants and emmigrants...the list goes on.
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And in Washington D.C., politicians are hard at work trying to figure out how they can sneak these same sort of laws into the U.S.
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Pro tip: It wasn't 'Spaniards' that started the 'Spanish Inquisition'.
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Re: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
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I'm sure the MPAA is somewhere mixed in with all this. There's been a bunch of oppressive copyright laws being passed in Spain recently. We all know how the MPAA likes censoring the internet. So I guess that ties in nicely with police photography censorship.
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Funny thing about respect ... it is earned.
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(http://whenonearth.net/el-colacho-baby-jumping-festival-spain/)
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Pamplona is full of idiot American tourists at this time of year, true.
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Just out of curiosity, what did Spain do to make you such a xenophobic asshole making repeated comments today? Most people stop at one attempt to make themselves look like a complete tosser.
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http://nypost.com/2015/07/07/2-americans-gored-during-running-of-the-bulls-in-pamplona/
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Sometimes i wonder where are the various human rights activists and EU politicians. When an eastern-eu country does something that isnt in line with their exploitations they throw around sanctions.
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Peru was the guinea pig for spanish draconian laws
Some of that measures was included in current spanish law, including some anti-leaks measures seen on this article (like "unauthorized filming").
Just saying. Your taxes are used to bribe press and silence that issues.
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Re: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead
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This law is clearly unconstitutional
of Spanish constitution: http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/espana/leyfundamental/Paginas/titulo_primero.aspx
I wonder if it will be challenged on these grounds....
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Maybe the government of Spain thinks they can sue everyone worldwide and fine them and have them arrested for disagreeing with the government, so be it i am one that you need to catch and i don't live in Spain , just as millions upon millions will post whatever they want in Spanish websites , if they know the language that is.
I don't but i will support the Spanish by with this comment organising a protest march to burn the government buildings down on Novemeber the 5th Guy Fawkes day. Support the fight against the top 1% worldwide and burn them all to the ground.
Now come at me Bro...or Spain, or whoever they can organise to arrest me for promoting something with my comment... all done just to show that nobody and no government can stop anyone worldwide from posting whatever they want, even as my comment is done in jest and where nobody will do anything to support it obviously..
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Come on. Wake up. You wont be saying that when they come for you. Free speech is gone. freedom to disagree with austerity that affects us all, is going. I doubt you have kids and no doubt have any aspiration for a free future.
Most of these people were there for a peaceful protest or just waiting on a train. It is the police force that create a violent atmosphere in order to make arrests and use there batons.
Peace
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Human rights, your being tested, and we're finding you woefully lackluster.......profit,greed,money,power,influence,authaurity,surveillance....on the other hand.........
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end result
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So the police always do the "right" thing huh?
Why denying to be filmed when you are doing the right thing?
Who will make sure they do the right thing?
Piece of id..t You have to recall that the government and the authorites are corrupt. It's our duty as citizens to make sure our rights preveil. It's not breaking the law.
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REVOLUCION!!!
ES HORA DE DESTRUIR EL GOBIERNO DE ESPAÑA!
CIUDADANOS DE ESPAÑA NECESITA para derrocar al gobierno!
EL GOBIERNO ESPAÑOL NO PUEDE HACER LA PROTESTA ILEGAL!
ES TIEMPO PARA EL PUEBLO DE ESPAÑA PARA MOSTRAR SU GOBIERNO QUE SON LOCO COMO EL INFIERNO, Y NO VAMOS A TOMARLO MAS!
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Now after that you save money and annoy rhw duxk our of youe Spanish cops with drones you bought.
Just throwin' in some ideas.
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Re: This law is clearly unconstitutional
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Ever been to the Calgary Stampede? I hear they "put down" at least two horses this year for broken legs.
If you can stand Michener, his "Mexico" is a good explanatory intro to bull fighting. He says they don't consider it a sport. It's an art form for them.
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@ Turd
2) Your name fits, don't change it.
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Do the Spainards even have balls?
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The Good Old Days
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Here comes the La Guardia
Franco and his La Guardia were tyrants of the first order, and had no compunction against shooting someone just because they didn't obey at the drop of a hat.
What they have now enacted, is the first step in bringing back a Franco's styled Spain, with a killing machine who could care less how righteous are your complaints about government. They'll just shoot you !!!
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Re: So how soon before Spain is on fire?
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Re: Here comes the La Guardia
This BS is getting really old.
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Wait till the peopl'es representatives take power and show them how to really do it. Just like in San Francisco.
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Re: How do you say...
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Re: Re: Here comes the La Guardia
Add a pinch of non-proportional and pretty badly thought of voting systems and bam, you got an absolute majority of fascists that is governing the country for 4 years.
Even now, after having been shown that they have stolen scores of thousands of millions (yeah, we use long escale) euros in multiple ways (such as the Bankia issue, a "hole" of 30.000M euro, or that other one that were 12.000M euro and that they don't expect to get back. Or the preferentes issue, Barcenas, Gurtel, airports and prolly a ton of issues that aren't even known...
My estimate is that roughly, in Spain, corruption amounts for at least half of the GDP (GDP = 1 Billion €, 10^12 in Spain). You know, the tip of the iceberg and all that...
After all that, people still vote for them and they'll get 7-8M votes next elections. They are still the most voted party...
But well, let's see the world:
- Cameron is the big honcho in the UK (with similar circumstances in elections, that system sure is pretty bad).
- The US won't get out of the Democrat/Republican duality in their whole History (Does Congress/Senate has seats for other parties?). And the worst part is that neither party is too different, sometimes Reps vote for things that a Dem would and the reverse. Plus all that lobbying, that is even institutionalized and accepted...
- Greece just recently voted for a different party than those that lead it to the big debt (and that stole millions of euros from Greeks) and they are getting bashed for it plenty.
You know the funny part? That they made Greece buy so many military hardware that it has more tanks that France, Germany and some other country together, lol. Just hope they don't turn crazy.
But well, before talking about Franco, let's look a bit more at the world:
- France, the country of "liberté, egalité, fraternité" was already pretty nutsy when they wanted to pass a law to spy on all citizens. Thanks to Charli Hebdo strike/false flag, that went through pretty smoothly, it didn't even hurt (hah!). Also, remember that they are the ones who started the whole 3-Strikes deal.
- UK: Cameron seems to be going crazy about encryption and that. It seems that brits want to see how WW2 was from the German side. At least the part of having a GESTAPO spying on you (they already do that).
- US: let's not bring out the NSA, OK? Or the TSA, the Police, particularly officers that shoot 137 times to 2 suspects or shoot at kids; that's when they don't steal your money outright, tase you or any of those things that are done in a free and democratic country.
Yeah, we could talk about the Ley Mordaza (Gag Law) all the day. But just remember that you got a Gag Bang organized in your backyards too.
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(use unnecessary violence if necessary)
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The novelty of this law is making criminal activity something related to "administrative fines".
I'm talking from memory here, but part of those things is that they are fines and not sentences. I mean, you get fined by that by the simple fact that you have done it, no judge, no court or whatever (the same as a parking ticket or driving drunk, if you get my drift).
As only monetary fines are considered and not penal, the Code of Law that takes care of them is different. In fact, you just get fined.
If by any chance you want to defend from those charges, you have to go through what's called a "contencioso administrativo", that is akin to suing the government. It's an uphill battle and even if you win, you're paying the cost of it ("costas", meaning you pay the use of a court, usually the loser pays for it in a trial).
There is also the fact that policemen here got the upper hand against a citizen. For example, if a policeman says it's black and you say it's white, it's black by law. Their word is worth more than yours.
Now, add to that that you can be fined for filming or recording their activity plus that "lack of respect clause" and you're up for some hefty fine just because a policeman doesn't like you (like, for example, asking for his ID).
So yeah, you ask a policeman his ID (they should have it visible, but that's not always the case), he claims that you have disrespected him (like insulting him), his word is worth more than yours and as filming/recording them is illegal, you're pretty much screwed.
Another novelty is that they make the organizers responsible for everything that happens in a demonstration, even if it's done by unrelated groups. So you organize one, a rival/opposite group vandalizes it and you're going to get a pretty good fine over your head.
Even retweeting it and/or spreading the word over social networks may be considered finable too.
And yeah, not sure about what the Constitutional Court will say. To be honest, for most people it's pretty unconstitutional not being able to film/record policemen doing their job. The thing is that the CC is made of judges designated by political parties, and you know what that means...
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Las leyes en españa
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I thought as much, which is why I thought Commissar's post was strange. We need new powers to address something that's already illegal! Er...
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Spain's Gag Law
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spain
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So when we starting this revolution then. I'm pretty fed up of all the wars and legal bandits ruling us, telling us what we can do and say.
Go Rev 2020
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Re: Re: Something to keep in mind
In the last 15 years,
- House of Representitives Majority has changed parties 3 times.
- Senate Majority has changed parties 6 times.
- The Presidency has Changed parties twice (And flipped twice more in the ten years before that)
The problem isn't that a revolution is impossible. The problem is that a majority of US voters don't seem to see the current trend as a problem
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simple
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