Spanish Cops Use New Law To Fine Facebook Commenter For Calling Them 'Slackers'
from the bigger-men-than-this...-are-employed-elsewhere dept
On July 1st, the Spanish government enacted a set of laws designed to keep disruption within its borders to a minimum. In addition to making dissent illegal (criminal acts now include "public disruption" and "unauthorized protests"), Spanish legislators decided the nation's law enforcement officers should be above reproach. This doesn't mean Spanish cops will be behaving better. It just means the public will no longer be able to criticize them.
The new law forbids "showing a lack of respect" for police officers. Not showing respect can net a member of the public a hefty fine. According to James Badcock of The Telegraph, a local police force has already exercised its brand-new "right."
In his July 22 Facebook comment, Mr Díaz criticised the use of public resources on a brand new police station in the town of Güímar, stating that the local force was a “pack of slackers”. But local police officers wasted no time in reacting, ringing Mr Díaz’s doorbell six hours later to present him with the notification of a fine which will be set at between €100 and €600.It appears the "slackers" in Eduardo Diaz's town can be proactive if properly motivated. With a fine approaching €100 a letter at the top end, the police force should soon feel properly insulated from the public's negative Facebook comments. Over here in the US, this would be protected free speech. In Spain, it's a criminal act and -- depending on how the local judge is feeling -- could net disgruntled commenters €600,000 for assaulting police officers with words.
I'm not sure how police officers in general feel about this new law, which also makes "unauthorized" photography of officers subject to similar fines. I would like to think they're not too happy with this and would rather earn respect rather than exist in an enforced criticism-free vacuum. But maybe not. Maybe these cops -- the ones that showed up all too quickly to serve Diaz with a summons -- enjoy a cowed populace. If so, they really have no business working in the public sector.
In truly Orwellian fashion, the government is claiming that a police state is a more liberated state.
Defending the new law, the PP government has said that “demonstrations will become freer because they will be protected from violent elements”.It's assumed similar statements defending Spain's gag law will be issued from the Ministry of Love in the coming months as Twitter users and cell phone-wielding photographers are picked up by local law enforcement and made to pay for their unwillingness to let police officers do their jobs both uncriticized and unobserved.
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Filed Under: criticism, fines, free speech, police, protests, spain
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To this day Spanish movies celebrate the end of Franco's rule
I wonder if, when this era is done, they'll also feature elements of verbal assault.
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Because everyone knows if you pay off the shakedown artist they are less like to injure you and stop the gravy train.
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Movies are not supposed to be a blueprint for politics
Somebody put me back in the Fridge...
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Re: Movies are not supposed to be a blueprint for politics
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PieesiTUfg/T_NBWZ0-aDI/AAAAAAAACio/z4qxz4xjEm8/s1600/cantina. PNG)
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Re: Movies are not supposed to be a blueprint for politics
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If someone has more rights and freedoms than others, than the rights aren't really rights, they are privileges. One class of citizen having more rights than another didn't work out so well in the US and I doubt it can work well anywhere else either. Not in the long run.
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Cops with guns, they're sensitive ones, 'cause names will always hurt them!
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- whaaaaaaa
get the poor babies a pacifier
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
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Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
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Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
That's against the law too
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Re: Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
I think.
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Re: Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
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Re: Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
Data citing actual bias by age in this regard would be appropriate.
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Re: Re: Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:18am
Heckling a stand-up comic can count as showing a lack of respect, why shouldn't Spain outlaw that too?
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The economic argument is rather tame compared to the fiddling with fundamental democratic rights.
As far as the need for some law protecting law enforcement from abuse, it is acceptable, but you better make damn sure that you are defining the law narrowly to avoid situations where the "offensive" phrase may be appropriate!
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Violent elements you can't see because the police have free reign to do what they want by blinding the people. You'll feel much better and freer if we poke your eyes out.... Liberating isn't it..
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Where does the jurisdiction end?
Would Spain try to extradite me if I'm an American citizen and posted from America?
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Re: Where does the jurisdiction end?
Trick question. Spanish citizens aren't allowed to leave their pris..I mean country anymore.
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Re: Where does the jurisdiction end?
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Re: Where does the jurisdiction end?
> American citizen and posted from America?
They could try but the U.S would never allow it. It would be a simple matter to challenge any attempt to extradite an American citizen for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed rights in America. A first year law student could win that one.
The Constitution does not allow other countries to nullify all the guaranteed rights that were so thoughtfully put into place, and reach into our country and pluck our citizens away for exercising them.
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Aug 3rd, 2015 @ 8:26am
These laws only represent some of the most pathetic and counterproductive attempts to do that.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francoist_Spain
Same as the other fascism, but catholic.
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The doublespeak is almost comical. Huxley must be rolling in his grave.
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Passing a law like this is the elected politicians admitting the police are slackers. They believe either the police can't or won't do their job without powers such as this.
They're charging this guy for agreeing with the politicians.
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reason behind this?
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Re: reason behind this?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition
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WAA HAA HAA HAA
*pounds fist on desk, tears streaming.
Now that's what I call a damn good joke.
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USA: You can beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride.
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In other words, if this had to go through a court, the court would have ruled that he's in his right to do those comments in base of Art. 20.a of the Spanish Constitution.
Yeah, the US isn't the only country that has stuff like (un)protected free speech or whatever.
Of course, you need to get to a court.
This never went to a court, it was the Spanish Administration the one who handed the fine, in base of that law.
Now, he will have to appeal the fine (instead of defending against it in a court) first, via Administrative Appeal (that is, first you appeal to the one who gave you the fine) and then via Administrative Courts, that are special courts that take care of these cases and are usually a pain in the ass to deal with.
So yeah, welcome to a police state. And then people talk about Venezuela, lol...
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Of course, they could condense that time into the most boring episode of "24" ever.
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WOW
if this is a law just to protect the cops then it is not going to work as everyone will be outraged if the cops abuse their powers as they do in america and react by breaking more than one corrupt law.
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Re: WOW
Most of the time they just shoot you.
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Re: WOW
Yeah - I'm sure that is the case every time a cop gets called out.
"the way people there talk to police officers is disgusting and the cops just have to grin and bear it,"
Not sure what news outfit you read, but they do not simply grin and take it - far from it.
"this just a law to protect those that don't do their job"
Close. It is a law to further acclimate the people to the new police state, now pick up that can!
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Spanish police effectively run and control 95% of the cocaine and heroin markets. They use their legally given status to stamp down on rival dealers whilst waving their own pushers to sell as much as they can. (Spanish Government ministers take their cut to look the other way obviously).
Then of course theres all the 'unexplained' murders/disappearances of tourists etc.....
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Is that it?
'Thugs with badges'
'Thin skinned babies with delusions of maturity'
'Pathetic losers who use their position to compensate for their otherwise laughable importance'
Really, 'slackers' is being far too kind, there are much worse, and much more accurate things that one could call them.
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Another victim of this law
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Re: Another victim of this law
So, who was the one said that calling a policeman "buddy" is offensive and thus will cause psychological damage on people?
Are we like Cthulhu that we make lose 1d100 SAN(ity) if the roll is failed and 1d10 if it succeeds?
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Truth by technicality, the best kind of truth
Which is true. After all, if you can't report on police activity that makes them look bad, like roughing up protesters, then clearly it never happened, and there was no 'violent elements' present.
"If it's not reported, it didn't happen", and just like that, all police misconduct or law bending/breaking disappears overnight, making things much safer for all.
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Re: Truth by technicality, the best kind of truth
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