Gagged as law kicks in

JUST 10 hours after the controversial new Citizens’ Safety Law referred to as the Ley Mordaza (or Gag Law) kicked in, Malaga police were demanding ID from demonstrators outside the city courts.

The protest was held yesterday morning (Wednesday 1) as the new law, which will allow fines of between €100 and €600,000 for 44 different offences, came into effect.

The protest, at which slogans against the law were chanted, coincided with a hearing at the courts against 12 people involved in a protest which was eventually postponed.

Angel Narvaez, one of the 12 facing charges, said they had been accused of attending an illegal protest against the new law and insulting and threatening police officers. “There’s a clear intention to criminalise public protests,” he said.

The law, which could catch unsuspecting citizens out, allows fines against offenses including taking part in unauthorised protests, failing to produce ID when required, resisting or threatening authorities, carrying or using illegal weapons, paying for sexual services in public spaces or drinking alcohol and perturbing the peace in public areas.