How's Spain doing? - We can't complain

[nextormento]

So our new "law about citizen security protection" just got brought into force today.
It severely punishes activism, and cuts into the very basic civil right of peaceful protest. It addresses "cibercrimes" such as calls to action on Twitter. It downgrades several offenses from criminal to administrative status effectively circumventing the judicial system -which has been fairly lenient on these protests-. It puts into question which citizens exactly this piece of legislation is protecting.

It has been protested by every party except that of the government.


As well as several other organizations and collectives
Femen (NSFW)

The new legislation came into force at midnight despite being denounced by international human rights’ groups, lawyers associations and journalists for muzzling freedom of speech.
It sets hefty fines for protests outside government buildings or strategic installations and allows authorities to fine journalists or media organizations who distribute unauthorized images of police.
The law has been pushed through by the conservative Popular Party government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in the wake of several years of mostly peaceful anti-austerity demonstrations.

Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz has said the bill provides a balance between security and citizens' rights by setting fines and sanctions for offenses that are otherwise unpunishable.

Five things Spain’s ‘gag law’ will stop you doing from today - El País
Spain puts 'gag' on freedom of expression as senate approves security law - The Guardian
Spain's 'gag law' brought into force amid protests - The Local
What's at stake in Spain's new security law that critics slam for curbing free expression - Fox News

Fines are our economic paradigm. Silence our hymn.

On these fori, we often debate about freedom of expression, how it should be curbed and policed, etc. This is how it's done. So, what do you all think?.
If it's not sufficiently clear, I think this is an absurd attack on civil freedoms, and I vehemently oppose it.

[Deleted]

spain is the shithole of europe.

oh wait... or is that Greece? i forget.

[Masark]

So, what do you all think?.

I think your current government is thinking that they'd like to have things as they were 50 years ago.

[Deleted]

Ah, your government preparing for Greece Reloaded to take place there.

[Stelio Kontos]

That's why Podemos needs to win the next general election.

[Deleted]

The New World Order is being established. The right to free speech is being taken away.

[THE Bigzoman]

How's Spain doing, we can't complain?

Dat unemployment rate.

[Deleted]

I think this is an absurd attack on civil freedoms, and I vehemently oppose it.

Yes. - I can understand why they want it, the population complaining are generally deluded individuals who think you can complain away the debts, but still this is fascism.

[PC2]

Protesting is important but I also think it needs to be used more judiciously. Excessive leftist angst is divisive and bad for society.

[Deleted]

Protesting is important but I also think it needs to be used more judiciously. Excessive leftist angst is divisive and bad for society.

but just as neo nazis, they should have the right to protest.

[Independent voter]

I was thinking an anti-terrorism thing, but then I saw this in the NY Times

spains-new-public-safety-law-has-its-challengers.html

So yeah, you might as well call these laws the "suppress anti-austerity dissent law".

[Flame6]

I would like to hear how the government spins this. I can imagine there is good intent here and maybe good execution, but everything you linked is one sided.

[PC2]

but just as neo nazis, they should have the right to protest.

Right. I don't think that Spain is trying be more fascist, but are concerned about potential instability from austerity and immigrants.

[Deleted]

Next pawn should be Italy or germany, now .

Pieces in place, isis in pace, right in the eye.

[Deleted]

I would like to hear how the government spins this. I can imagine there is good intent here and maybe good execution, but everything you linked is one sided.

They should protest. Oh wait, that's illegal.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Kinda sad how this went under the radar in other European countries (they usually report on the right wing ravings of the guy in Hungary at least). Considering how fucked up it sounds this deserves more attention than Syriza making fools of themselves again.

[nextormento]

I would like to hear how the government spins this. I can imagine there is good intent here and maybe good execution, but everything you linked is one sided.

I quoted what the minister of Interior had to say about it. If you -or anyone- has better sources in English, I'll gladly append it to the OP. I'll elaborate a bit anyway.
I'll note that it's incredibly hard to find any respectable source even marginally favorable to it.

"Ensure an environment of coexistence in which the exercise of the rights and freedoms possible, by eliminating violence and the removal of obstacles hindering the fullness of those "

Manifest is prohibited on the Congress and the Senate grounds ensuring "that there is no excessive social pressure over the legislature"
It is justified to penalize those who prevent an eviction because it is "the physical implementation of an order given by a judge"

The Government argues that the 'gag law' guarantees the rights of the majority - El País (Spanish)

the population complaining are generally deluded individuals who think you can complain away the debts

Well, we protest all kind of things: you are bound to agree with some of them.
Of note, it can be said that the 15-M people sparked what is today Podemos (our Syriza equivalent). While one can agree or not with them, I think the protests and gatherings were particularly peaceful: silent protests, sit-ins, online activism etc.

But it goes beyond that. Groups like La Polla Records -80s punk- would have their lyrics fined for satirizing the crown.
It's worth mentioning, that this "gag law" is a package of 3 pieces (one new, two reforms) of legislation. One of which, for instance, penalizes the access (not just publish) to webs with terrorism apology as a topic. Which I would be ok with, if it wasn't so vaguely described.

How's Spain doing, we can't complain?
Dat unemployment rate.

We literally can't complain .

[Deleted]

Kinda sad how this went under the radar in other European countries (they usually report on the right wing ravings of the guy in Hungary at least). Considering how fucked up it sounds this deserves more attention than Syriza making fools of themselves again.

Spain is from the cool guys club, the EU generally ignores shit going on in their backyard. Hungary on the other hand is in the Eastern European block which the cool guys hate and only invited into the EU so they can sell their shit there.

[nextormento]

Kinda sad how this went under the radar in other European countries

We swallowed the austerity pill. Dunno where that puts us in the public eye: lazy but manageable?
Anything but interesting, I guess.

[Cosmic Janitor]

We swallowed the austerity pill. Dunno where that puts us in the public eye: lazy but manageable?
Anything but interesting, I guess.

Again whenever something happens of remotely similar scale it is at least worth a few lines in the news. This is the first time I've heard of it at least, usually even something about France's right wing parties is worth an "honorary" mention. Heck I even read that they confiscated 3.5 tons of cocaine in Spain.