Police march to protest against ‘Gag Law’ in Madrid

Thousands of Spanish police officers marched through Madrid on Saturday to protest a planned security law reform that they claim will make it more difficult for them to execute their jobs.

Protesting against proposed revisions to the 2015 Citizens Security Law, which critics believe breaches the freedom to protest and curbs free expression, politicians from three major conservative parties joined the protest of police personnel.

Opponents have dubbed the measure the ‘Gag Law,’ because it empowers authorities to penalise media organisations for publishing unauthorised photos of police, restricts rallies and imposes severe fines on violators.

The Spanish government has suggested amendments, including the removal of the classification of photographing or filming police officers during rallies as a serious offence.

After a number of people were gravely hurt by rubber bullets fired by policemen, the revisions will require police to use less dangerous materials during protests. Suspects arrested at protests will have their time in detention reduced from six to two hours and fines will be proportional to their earnings.

‘They should either leave the current law alone or improve it for the police and the population,’ Vanessa Gonzalez, a Civil Guard officer, told Reuters.

The far-right Vox party’s Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros said: ‘This law’s overhaul is being met with fierce hostility. It’s against our police, and we’re not going to allow it to happen.’

At a demonstration in Cantabria, northern Spain, Isa Serra, a spokeswoman for the far-left Unidas Podemos party, said that the law had done ‘a lot of damage to Spanish democracy.’