Ley Mordaza: ten years of Spain’s gag law
Since 1 July 2015, Spain fines legitimate protest, photographing police officers, and "disrespectful" posts. Ten years of resistance — #NoSomosDelito, Amnesty International, and a long backlog of legal challenge.
Summary (EN)
Ley Orgánica 4/2015 (“Ley Mordaza”) entered force 1 July 2015 under the Rajoy government. It sanctions spontaneous protests near “protected buildings” (up to €600,000), photographing/disseminating images of police (up to €30,000), “disrespect” toward officials, and more. Amnesty International documented the absurdity early: in 2015 the platform “No Somos Delito” released a satirical puppet video mocking the law that the Interior Ministry moved to examine. A 2022 partial reform (RDL) softened some clauses; the core — protest fines and photography bans — remains. Amnesty continues to demand full repeal (“10 años de resistencia”).
Debunking
False: “Spain abolished the gag law.” — No. 2022 softened individual provisions; protest fines and the photography ban remain in force. Amnesty demands full repeal.