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:
Photo:
https://www.totbarcelona.cat/
Arxiu @ www.directa.cat