Caitlin Quinn
A WOMAN in Alicante has been fined €800 for photographing a police car parked in a disabled parking space and posting the picture on Facebook.
She captioned the photo “You park wherever you please and on top of that you won’t be fined.”
The woman was fined under the controversial new Citizen Security Law, popularly known as the “gag law,” which has expanded the government’s authority to regulate and restrict free speech.
The law forbids “the unauthorised use of images or personal or professional data of law enforcement authorities that could endanger the safety of officers, protected facilities or official operations.”
Police councillor Fernando Portillo insisted that the officers had parked in the disabled space out of necessity, as they were responding to a vandalism report and were in a rush to catch the vandals in the act.
For this reason, Portillo said, the officers perceived the woman’s photograph as an attack on their honour and decided to fine the woman, though the town hall recommended “other solutions.”
Another law from the PP fascists & their uniformed thugs.
Hopefully the heirs of Franco will be swept out of government towards the end of this year – many of them are corrupt and with a bit of luck they will end up in jail.
However, if Spain votes to keep the PP in power, expect loads more of this type of law in Spain…
The OP are also risking a fine for republishing the picture. Spain is going backwards; invest elsewhere.
No they’re not. The numberplate has been covered in this picture compared to the original.
So that makes it ok then?
No, it is the taking of the picture that is the issue. If a picture of a police officer was taken and published without identification, it would still be a crime. This is what a lawyer friend told me in Malaga today anyway. Whatever way you look at it, it’s a backward step for Spain.
police right. id hang her. too many sods with i phones looking 4 trouble, prob chasing a criminal, then this prat takes photo of his car, pillocks, you need strong police force. if none at all, there would be hell on,
So you don’t think the Police should obey the laws as the rest of us must?
This is the road back to what I witnessed in Pamplona, Mayday 1968, smashing in the faces of brave young women who were’nt Fascists and trying and in some cases emasculating brave young men.
Seeing this kind of thing is nothing compared to being there – the screams and the blood were very real.
It is the current trend.
1. Take a nice picture on the phone
2. Publish on Social(Selfish) Media with a suitable comment without knowing the facts
3. Soak up the attention and glory.
Well she got what she asked for, plenty of attention and a fine of 800 seems ok for all the coverage she is getting.
Wonder what her next picture’s will be, maybe a few of her paying the fine at the police station would be nice.
You’re wrong. It is totally legal to film or photograph the police in a public space in the UK, to undermine that is an outright attack on freedom of speech, this law is dangerous. Wake up Spain.
IDIOT….!!!!!!
I agree, she was an idiot
I’m not sure if anyone writing here has recently been back to the UK. Well at the moment I’m currently there and can assure everyone that the parking penalties are in-fact worse in the UK besides what has been mentioned here on this page. Parking meter attendance are issued with tape measures to check the parking distance from the curb, if inappropriate, wallop, a £70 fine.
Parking even one inch over a white line to the front or back of a car, wallop, a £60 fine. Forget about even thinking of parking on a single yellow lines, double yellow lines and now even a red line, frighten to tell you what happens on a red line. Lets not get into speeding fines or cars impounded if not insured and many other thing that happen in the UK, oh and by the way there are large round signs with a lighted face. If within the speed limit it smiles at you as you approach, if over the speed limit it frowns and takes a photo of your number plate, guess what follows.
So basically the advice is to keep your nose clean then these problems you mention in Spain is nothing compared to the UK.
Duh, what have road traffic offences and a gag law got to do with each other lol.
Fred. Traffic offences, the gag law, and in this case was related to a traffic offence by the police and the reason the photo was taken, besides the subject is related to all traffic offences which the gag law covers. Don’t confuse Spanish law with sections not similar to British laws. You live in Spain, like it or not.
No Jacko, RTAs and Spain’s gag law have no relevance to one another. The taking of the photograph is the action that invoked the law. The police did not take action aganst their own people for occupying a disabled space; they were taking action because they got caught in the act lol. Spain in a nutshell.
Fred, afraid you have been too long in Spain:
“The police did not take action against their own people for occupying a disabled space; they were taking action because they got caught in the act lol. Spain in a nutshell”.
Oh, I see it now, something like the case against Lord Janner and others. lol. UK in a nutshell. First the police hide it until exposed, got it. Do me a favor.
Jacko, you are wildly off-topic now, just as always lol. The topic is the Spanish gag law, not UK matters. Keep to topic.
This law is dangerous and undermines freedom of speech. In the UK it is perfectly legal to film or photograph the police in a public area. Spain needs to wake up. This is the 21st century not 1930s Germany.
If the police were rushing to help you and were late using the excuse “Sorry we were looking for a parking space” what would your comment be then ?
JOHN LIGHTFOOT you are gullible ………….do you really believe that were helping someone…!!..
surely they would have disembarked from there car at a rapid speed and NOT neatly parked it in a disabled spot….!!!
So you can say with 100% certainty that they were lying. I have seen the same thing in the UK many times.
Under this law Virginia Ruiz is going to be fined €6,000 for going into
the bull ring to comfort a dying bull when she heard its last cry. She
was also spat at, called vile names etc.
Nick there have been huge protests re this law, but it was still passed.
While I am not defending draconian laws in any way, it was a stupid and pointless exercise. What exactly was this woman hoping to achieve? It was pretty naff to post it on Facebook.
Like many on Facebook she was looking for her hour of glory and she has got it as we are all talking about her. They film and post without a thought of the consequences.
Jane, all this crap about gag laws on this site, every country has gag laws even the once Gt.Britain. Here’s a fine example for you, hows about the gag law in Thailand, utter one word against the Thai Royal family and it’s 15 years free holiday offer in a Thai prison. Now that’s what I call a gag law.
I hope people have better things to do in life then…..well. Think about it.
Oh My God! There are some scary people around, like you MrLightfoot!
People have got every right to take pictures in the public street and display them – its a public comment about a public space involving people out in the public, where no right to privacy can be assumed nor granted – for anyone!!!!
This jackboot intimidation by the ‘authorities’ is why we keep hearing about pedophile rings discovered again and again (for example). the public are getting scared to stand up and say No! Thats not right!
You cant have it both ways MrJackboot – either you fear the knock at your door, or you stand up for sensible rights.