--- description: A new set of laws that went into effect in Spain on July 1 have much of the country, as well as many human rights organizations, in uproar. title: Spain's New Security Law Meets Fierce Criticism image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc27fe3232665f553/6988596935ba6f22a9c0e0a0/rtx1iike.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Spain's New Security Law Meets Fierce Criticism From Rights Groups by [Alissa Greenberg](/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 2, 2015 9:46 AM CUT  Demonstrators with their mouths taped sit outside the Spanish parliament during a protest against the government's new security law in central Madrid, Spain, early July 1, 2015 Demonstrators with their mouths taped sit outside the Spanish parliament during a protest against the government's new security law in central Madrid, Spain, early July 1, 2015Juan Medina—Reuters by [Alissa Greenberg](/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 2, 2015 9:46 AM CUT A new law that went into effect in Spain on July 1 has much of the country, as well as many human rights organizations, in an uproar. While proponents say the new public security law will reinforce civil liberties, opponents call it the “gag law,” saying it will do just the opposite and take the country a step backward toward dictatorship. The law covers everything from internet surfing to drug trafficking, but opponents point specifically to portions targeting illegal downloading, habitual access of websites that allegedly promote terrorism, and violent protest, as problematic, saying they include too-loose language that could be abused for political purposes and will limit freedom of speech or even prevent reports of police brutality. Under the law, citizens can be fined the equivalent of almost $700 for insulting an officer, over $33,000 for recording and disseminating images of police officers, and more than $664,000 for participating in an unauthorized protest outside government buildings, the _New York Times_ [reports](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/world/europe/spains-new-public-safety-law-has-its-challengers.html "undefined"). _El Pais_ [adds](http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/06/25/actualidad/1435244324%5F666533.html "undefined") that the law puts an “expiry date” on passive protest, by “granting the police the power to fine anyone who refuses to dissolve meetings and protests in public places.” Judith Sunderland of Human Rights Watch told the _Times_ the law presents “a direct threat to the rights to meet peacefully and freedom of speech in Spain.” But Ministers of the Interior and of Justice Jorge Fernández Díaz and Rafael Catalá [told](http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/07/01/actualidad/1435734629%5F237250.html "undefined") _El Pais_ the new laws do not limit citizens’ rights and in fact are meant to reinforce them. Prohibitions on protest outside parliament will make sure “there isn’t excessive pressure on the legislative powers,” they explained. Spaniards reacted fittingly—by staging a protest in front of parliament. Some held signs that referenced the country’s past, still a sensitive topic 40 years after dictator Francisco Franco’s death. “Fascism wants to gag the people,” one sign read. Other protesters simply sat in silence, their mouths covered in gags or tape. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3944245/spain-security-law-ley-mordaza-dictatorship-censorship-gag/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3944245/spain-security-law-ley-mordaza-dictatorship-censorship-gag/"},"headline":"Spain's New Security Law Meets Fierce Criticism From Rights Groups","datePublished":"2015-07-02T09:46:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:33:54.865Z","description":"The new law prohibits everything from insulting a police officer to protesting outside the country's legislature","url":"https://time.com/3944245/spain-security-law-ley-mordaza-dictatorship-censorship-gag/","keywords":["protest","police","Spain","Censorship","dictatorship"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc27fe3232665f553/6988596935ba6f22a9c0e0a0/rtx1iike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alissa Greenberg","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alissa-greenberg/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc27fe3232665f553/6988596935ba6f22a9c0e0a0/rtx1iike.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Demonstrators with their mouths taped sit outside the Spanish parliament during a protest against Spanish government's new security law in central Madrid","caption":"Demonstrators with their mouths taped sit outside the Spanish parliament during a protest against Spanish government's new security law in central Madrid","creditText":"Juan Medina—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3944245/spain-security-law-ley-mordaza-dictatorship-censorship-gag/","name":"Spain's New Security Law Meets Fierce Criticism From Rights Groups"}}]}] ```