AT least 23 people have been hurt in clashes outside the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, as hundreds of protesters gathered to demonstrate against newly proposed anti-protest legislation.

The demonstrators held signs that said ‘Freedom to protest’ and ‘People’s Party, shame of Spain!’ while police and barricades prevented them from getting any closer to the parliament building.

The rally in the heart of the Spanish capital finished with at least seven protesters detained and 23 people injured – 14 of them police.

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17 COMMENTS

  1. I suppose there will be yet more scenes of Spanish thug police beating the hell out of anyone who stands in their way. A series of laws designed to protect franco’s legacy in Spain – made by the party whose majority of members are openly and unashedly pro-franco and believe that this continuation of his rule that we all have to suffer here is actually a good thing.

    For them it is, as it’s the only way of protecting their own.

  2. Roger Stevens, it is not really OK as you hide from the stories about the fascist Country that you live in and you try and concentrate on the sangria and sunshine and talk about other things not related to the story. It makes me laugh as you are left wing and you have nothing intelligent to say on this subject, maybe even this story is just too hard for you to defend, I am sure your off his head mate could do it though. From my experience Spain is a racist country and it is not just colour either. As previously stated I am not racist just that the UK cannot afford any more spongers, the pensioners and all UK citizens in the UK and abroad will be paying even more for the EU rules very, very soon. The gravy train is not sustainable. Anyway, carry on talking about your sangria and sunshine, off for your tostada… I like a bit of ribbing but try and use your imagination a bit more as the send brits back to the UK line on tunnels, planes etc is wearing thin. It was quite funny to read the first time but 10 times later, think of something new, even if it is insulting.

  3. Silly Reap, I’m not sure why you asked me to comment in the first place??!!!!

    er.. yes anything against freedom of speech is terrible and this new law would be a bad thing for democracy.

    what do you want me to say? ha ha

    Attacking someone (like your hero) for no reason on this site is utterly pointless.

    In the UK you have to have ‘authorised’ protests otherwise you’d get arrested. Like BNP/UKIP/NF (whatever you want to call it) marches, you probably agree with, have police escorts – all organised and authorised. You can’t even hang around in large groups in the uk without authority approving it.

    anything else?

  4. The reason why the police want to know about demonstartions is so they can close roads, make sure there are no clashes, the small number of trouble makers do not wreck the message. To you UKIP is the same as the others you mention? I have never voted UKIP but your point comes across that they are rascist. I may vote for them this time though, UKIP or Conservatives. Your lot are clutching at straws all the time, spend more money to get out of the recession was Balls message, then he changed it to cost of living, then this then that… Millipeede is bashing any Company that makes a profit sending shares down by billions in a mater of weeks, house builders etc. People on the dole earning equivalent £90k PAYE wages per year at an extreme level. Even this Government have many things wrong, such as student loans for foreigners who leave the Country and never pay the money back, billions a year, aid money to India, China, Argentina… Probably bribe money to get work / contracts. Nothing is perfect but the Spanish are starting ot take it to a new level now what with Gib and this article.

  5. Oh dear Reap,
    I normally agree wholeheartedly with your comments but not this time.

    The UK police sadly have always been politicised, their sole function is to protect the interests of the elite. Try to join any police force in the UK and anyone of the centre or even slighty left of centre never has a chance, so in no way do they represent all of the people.

    The outright murders committed by UK police are legion and have gone unpunished every time. The best known in recent times was the cowardly murder of the Charles de Menedeze, or of Tomlinson attacked from behind by a uniformed thug, who had lots of previous. You cannot be ignorant of the ‘kettling. methods used by the totally corrupt Met.

    Quite by chance one day shopping in Brighton we saw a completely peaceful demonstration of animal rights people many with children in prams. Suddenly out of nowhere vehicles disgorged heavily armed police in full body armour who attacked these peaceful demonstrators.

    Near to us an old lady who was obviously Jewish screamed “achtung, achtung SS”. She was in a state of terror and shock. Up came one of these uniformed thugs who shouted at her “shut up you old Jewish bitch”.

    Ordinary people were outraged and one old man shouted “I fought to kill scum like you” another uniformed thug raised his baton and was going to batter the old man down, only the intervention of an Inspector stopped him from doing so.

    He realised that this totally unneccesary State violence had been a disaster for the police and had opened the eyes of ordinary citizens to the reality of UK policing and these once passive people were lining up to join the animal rights movement. The news of this totally unwarranted State thuggery spread like wildfire through the town.

    Pressure was put on the local rag NOT to report the incident but the illusion that the police were there to protect the public was shattered forever.

    As to the Guardia Civil – I lived in an apartment block where two married Guardia lived, you could’nt wish to meet nicer blokes, much of the police violence in Spain is carried out by the hated Policia Nacional – Franco’s uniformed assasins.

    Contrast the extreme rightwing UK police with their counterparts in the Netherlands. I had two mates in the Rotterdam police – Joop was a dog handler and a member of a Dutch Conservative political group and Ruud was a sergeant and a lifelong member of the Dutch Communist party, something completely unthinkable in the UK but then democracy is’nt a joke in the Netherlands – it’s alive and well because the Dutch would’nt tolerate anything else.

    As to EgoSteve being a lefty, I have seen nothing in his posts to back up this claim please cite the posts where this is evident.

    Let’s see if this post is deleted like so many of mine.

  6. PH,
    what is your point. There has always been a large Jewish population in Brighton and Semitic people, Arab and Jewish are usually easily identifiable but maybe you have bad eyesight. At my school there were 3 Jewish boys and one was from the highly respected Bloom family, they ran a s/hand car business and if you bought a car from them you knew it was kosher. The patriarch was a director of B/Hove Albion who really loved the club and was probably the best director the club ever had – I think you are very stupidly trying to imply I am anti-semitic or you are supporting the uniformed thugs either way you just appear to be a smuck.

  7. My point was if you had no police at some demonstrations it would be choas with buildings burning, murders happening and even at recent demonstrations people have had the idea to set bombs off to kill the opposition, in the UK. How did the SS get involved in that!! I appreciate the police carry out orders from polititians and largely they decide how far they can go, but we do need police. I would rather deal with the UK police than the Spanish anyway. I like the UK police and have ex police as friends in Spain, lovely people. I am not a policeman BTW.

  8. These comments aren’t good at all.

    Reap, racist political parties all say they are not racist obviously. Can I also apologise to any of the Jewish community who’ve read Stuart’s disgraceful comments. He does like to talk a lot!

    Have a good Christmas everyone!

  9. Don’t be silly Mr.S. There’s nothing to apologise for in Stuarts comments. Racial/ethnic awareness is a million miles from racism. Some people are too quick to stick anti-semitic labels on people who have the temerity to discuss certain activities in Israel for instance.
    Reap: The real reason the police require notice of demos, is so that they have time to plant their own agents provocateurs, in order to stir things up and thereby negate what is often a perfectly reasonable protest. Plenty of evidence exists about this practice and well you know it.

  10. Roger, I have to say Spain is so much more racist than the UK having lived there and it is not just colour with them either. It does feel like Spain is going backwards on many levels, not the just the one in this story, shame as they could take a giant leap forwards with so many other warm Countries in turmoil, they are missing a good opportunity, it is only because the rest are so bad that Spain has not slipped further behind, best of a bad bunch for a summer holiday. If I could sell my places there I would but it is impossible at the moment. There is nothing more I would like than for Spain to move forward but with that bunch running the Country there is no hope. Roger I am glad you enjoy it there and that is all that matters and you have made the point very well that most go there for the sun, the cost of living, cheap houses and take life it easy. Hundreds of thousands like it there so horses for courses, it is for some and not for others, happy Christmas.

  11. Ahh I see Fredreap, so you’re one these unfortunate people who want to sell up in Spain and have needed money tied up in property here. Around our parts you either get people who really love it living here, permanently, or people like yourself, who just want rid of Spain, to sell up, and are on the whole berating of anything to do with Spain. Sorry if it offends anyone that some people LOVE living in Spain (with it’s problems), but it all makes more sense the more you hear about people’s financial troubles on this website.

    Over this festive period I also regret getting drawn into any discussion that drags you down to insults with anonymous people on the internet.. people that are probably ok in real life. This is just too weird.

    Good luck with any Spanish plans you might or might not have.

    HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY.

  12. That must make you a CacaStevens then. Point is, why are the opinions of a person who berates Spain any less valid than a person who praises it? Answer: they’re not. You’re just shooting the messenger Stevens, the OP’s daily headlines form the basis for most of the subsequent commentary. Oh and btw, I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t like you in real life either lol.

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