Congress takes the first step to resume the reform of the gag law with the only rejection of PP, Vox and UPN

Congress will approve this Tuesday the taking into consideration for the reform of the gag law agreed in recent weeks between EH Bildu. The parties that form the majority that support the Government have announced in this Tuesday’s debate that they will support the first step of this law, so that it begins its parliamentary path, where several forces have already announced that they will present amendments. This attempt is the fourth that the Lower House has made to dismantle the regulations that Mariano Rajoy put in place in 2015 to curtail the right to protest and that has been in force for much longer with the majority that promised to repeal it than with a PP executive.

The new law, which was negotiated by EH Bildu and PSOE but which bears the signature of Sumar, PNV and BNG, will eliminate the use of rubber balls and calls for the modification of the Immigration Law within a period of six months to put an end to the hot returns. It also modifies the sanctions for disrespect for authority and disobedience. The agreement thus addresses the four points that blocked the negotiation during the last legislature. Only PP, Vox and UPN have announced their vote against.

Regarding rubber balls, the new text speaks of a replacement of that material with “less harmful means.” The new law calls on authorities to develop specific protocols “in accordance with international standards” on the management of demonstrations and gatherings. These protocols must include the use of force and riot control equipment to “always use the least harmful means for people and preventing them from causing irreparable injuries.” Social groups have historically criticized rubber balls for the injuries caused to many protesters, who have lost their eyes due to the impact of these projectiles.

And for hot returns, the agreement includes an additional provision so that within six months a modification in the immigration law is addressed “establishing as criteria for the modification the respect and application of the regulations on Human Rights and international protection.” , establishing access and evaluation of requests for international protection prior to the possible expulsion process.”

“Today could be a great day for society as a whole. Today we can lay the first stone so that the final point of the Citizen Security Law, as you contemplated it, ends. Today we can put an end to a law that has curtailed our freedom of expression,” desired the socialist spokesperson, David Serrada, during the debate in which he defended the proposal.

Sumar’s deputy and IU spokesperson in Congress, Enrique Santiago, has also called on the democratic forces not to miss the opportunity. “And we are witnessing a great agreement between democratic forces, which is unusual. Are. There are six parliamentary groups that have presented this proposal, an important endorsement for taking it into consideration and to begin a parliamentary procedure that hopefully will be urgent, because there are no excuses among the democrats to end the Gag Law that has been in force for the longest time with the left-wing coalition government than the time it was in force by the Popular Party,” he said on the platform.

Next, he has exhorted the forces that are most reluctant. “We have, therefore, at our fingertips, what is probably the last opportunity to end the Gag Law. And we Democrats have no excuse to let it pass,” he added.

Some of these forces are Podemos and Junts, which in recent weeks have shown their skepticism regarding the agreement reached between the PSOE and EH Bildu. “This is a light version of the gag law that neither reformulates nor repeals it. It limits itself to polishing some of the most harmful aspects with great care not to anger the police unions,” lamented the spokesman for the Catalan nationalists Josep Pagés.

Previously, Podemos deputy Martina Velarde had criticized ERC and EH Bildu for giving in to claims they made during the last legislature, something that both groups have rejected with visible gestures from the tribune. “Members of ERC and EH Bildu, we understand that you need to explain to your electorate your support for a government that only knows how to do right-wing things,” he began. “But we cannot allow them to sell us that this is progress when this same thing could have been approved in 2023. They did not do it because rubber balls and hot returns were not prohibited. Podemos is right there. It is a partial reform, so it must be improved to comply with international standards,” he said.