Hate case

Barcelona 2022: Police fines and punishes a citizen with the "Gauge Law" for defending his linguistic rights

28.08.2024  |  Spain  |  Submitted by: Plataforma per la Llengua

Country                                                Catalunya, Spain              

Year                                                       2022

Affected group/minority              Catalan speakers

Perpetrator                                        Barcelona's Local Police

Type of case                                       Hate speech

Type of act                                          Verbal

Media:                                                 Physical interaction                                                         

Reactions:                                           Plataforma per la Llengua supported the victim’s appeal and denounced the case

 

Brief description:            

In December 2022 in Barcelona, two agents of the Urban Guard stopped a group of young Catalans. The officers asked them to identify themselves. When the young men presented their documents, one group member asked why they had been stopped. When the policeman answered in Spanish, the person pointed out that they had the right to be answered in Catalan. The officer reacted aggressively and insisted: "You understand me perfectly in Spanish, so I don't plan to speak to you in Catalan". After that, he noted the people's IDs.

A month later, on January 27, the citizen who interacted with the official received a fine of 300 euros for disrespecting a police officer. The person contacted Plataforma per la Llengua to inform the NGO about the case of linguistic discrimination, accompanied by irregularities in the reported facts that have been indicated as a reason for the fine – violating the public order. After submitting an appeal, however, the young man was surprised that the penalty was increased to 601 euros, justified by the "Gag Law".

More information on the case can be obtained from:    

https://www.plataforma-llengua.cat/que-fem/noticies/5813/denunciem-que-la-guardia-urbana-de-barcelona-multa-i-castiga-amb-la-llei-mordassa-un-ciutada-per-defensar-els-seus-drets-linguistics

 

Photo:

https://www.totbarcelona.cat/ 

Arxiu @ www.directa.cat

Germany

Greece

Poland

Romania

Croatia

Spain

Georgia

Estonia

Albania

Latvia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sweden

Austria

More practices in