Thousands of protestors, both young and old, took to the streets and central plazas of some thirty Spanish cities today to protest for the right to protest. It is a right that should be respected in any self-respecting democracy. But not in Spain, thanks to new legislation which is on the verge of becoming law. Under the Orwellian-titled Law for Citizen Security, or more aptly named “Gag Law,” virtually all forms of political protest, including all non-violent forms, will soon be criminalized. But not with penal charges – most criminal cases brought against non-violent political demonstrators are promptly thrown out of court – but administrative ones. That way, the government can circumvent the traditional checks and balances of the criminal justice system while pocketing millions in administrative fines. Here’s a quick breakdown of the financial sanctions the government seeks to impose (and, of course, collect upon) for acts of political protest or disobedience: • Surrounding a government building: €30,000 • Criticizing or insulting the country, government or head of state during a protest or on social media: €30,000 • Participating in a demonstration that does not have the government’s prior approval: €100 – €1,000 • Organizing a demonstration that turns violent: €30,000 • Participating non-violently in a demonstration that gets out of control: €1,000 • Refusal to show personal documentation (I.D. card, passport) to the police: €1,000 • Uploading images of riot police in action that the government considers against their honor, intimacy or the public image of the police force: €100-€1,000. • Taking part in a demonstration outside a political party’s headquarters on election day: €30,000-€600,000. • Trying to prevent the forced eviction of a local resident, something that has become common practice among communities in recent years: €1,000-€30,000. The list goes on and on while the fines rise and fall between €100 and €600,000. For the government, the sweeping new measures are all about “securing public order,” as a prerequisite for “ensuring individual liberty” – a roundabout way of saying that it is instituting a police state to protect itself. For many Spanish people, the new law is the ultimate affront, bearing disturbing echoes of the Public Order Tribunal that Franco’s dictatorship used to try political crimes such as public criticism of the Chief of State, justice courts and government; rebellion and sedition; public disorder, illegal propaganda, and the discovery and dissemination of official state secrets. The Ultimate Betrayal Resurrecting the ghosts of Spain’s dark Francoist past is the ultimate refuge of a scoundrel government that has reneged on just about all of its election pledges, is mired neck-deep in just about every political corruption scandal imaginable (I wrote about it in April last year: Spain’s Descent into Banana Republicanism), and is to a great extent directly responsible for the collapse of some of Spain’s biggest savings banks. http://wolfstreet.com/2014/12/20/spain-takes-a-giant-step-backward-towards-its-dark-past/ Get your money out of Spanish banks AN RUN!!!! This is the preparation for something BIG TO COME!