PP rams the abusive Citizen Safety Law through Congress, besides provisions on deportation of illegal immigrants. The entire opposition criticised the "gag law", because it's a "legal aberration, "an attack on civil liberties" and " a
carte blanche to the police". On deportations, the EU Human Rights Commissioner said recently that "Spain is attempting to make what’s illegal, legal". According to a socialist MP, the law "is a return to a police state" and the government is "using the excuse of security" to "slash citizens".
http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/12/12/inenglish/1418379884_767333.htmlThe laws provisions heavy fines in 45 cases without a court order, it's only required an administrative order by the Ministry of Interior. It creates four types of offences or infringements of the law. Very serious offences may result in fines between 30000 and 600000 Euros. The Spanish Huffington Post provides some practical examples:
- Organising a demonstration in front of the court of Palma de Mallorca in protest to the prosecutor's excessive softness with Princess Cristina may result in the maximum penalty (600K), in the case that the Ministry of Interior considers the administration of justice a "basic service to the community". Despite the prosecutor's attempts to hold Cristina harmless, the judge deems king Felipe's sister a suspect or accused person in the judicial case faced by her husband Iñaki Urdangarín (Noós case).
- Protesting in front of the Congress: between 601 and 30000 Euros.
- Peaceful resistance (sit-ins and the like): between 601 and 30000 Euros.
- Trying to stop an eviction: between 601 and 30000 Euros. Recently a judge imposed a police agent who assaulted an anti-eviction protester a compensation of 480 Euros and two fines by an amount of 300.
- Projecting laser beams on pilots and drivers: very serious offence (until 600000 Euros).
- Filming policemen or taking photographs: between 601 and 30000 Euros. If you protest because policemen are striking people, you may fall in misconduct ("disrespect") and be fined (between 100 and 600 Euros).
- Possesion of hash or weed: between 601 and 30000 Euros.
- Unauthorized public spectacles: between 30001 and 600000 Euros.
- Intrusion in infrastructures or facilities (Greenpeace-style performances): between 601 and 30000 Euros.
http://www.huffingtonpost.es/2014/12/11/ley-mordaza-multas_n_6308020.htmlSuch a collection of disproportionate fines and sanctions, which the government calls humorously "a democratic advance" and "a guarantee of liberties", is hardly understandable. There's not a justification to curb people's freedom; there aren't violent protests and incidents caused by the social unrest which can be used as alibi, in order to protect frightened peaceful citizens. The authoritarian drive of the government could only be explained as a move to please PP's hardcore voters. As some columnist wrote, perhaps Rajoy thinks that the centre has "disappeared" (as said in the previous post, moderates seem to have joined the ranks of abstainers) and needs to rely in a reduced spectre of voters, appealing to "order" and "fear" (to Podemos) as well as "constitutional stagnation" and "inflexibility" towards the Catalan problem.