Launch of Amnesty International’s report, Spain: The right to protest under threat
In April, the PHRP participated in the launch of the report Spain: The right to protest under threat Lees ook:Read the report: Spain: The right to protest under threat in Madrid. The report exposed violations by police against demonstrators, the lack of accountability for these violations and the determination of the Spanish authorities to strengthen repressive legislation. During the press conference and in various meetings with authorities, the dangerous vicious circle of violence taking place in Spain as a consequence of police excessive use of force was particularly highlighted. PHRP referred the problematic experiences from other countries such as Turkey or Brazil, to illustrate the potential dangers of excessive use of force by the police, and also referred to other experiences where on many occasions across the world, police – through an approach of facilitation and dialogue – managed to prevent violence from occurring. This reference sought to demonstrate that authorities, including and in particular the Spanish police indeed have the choice and the possibility to turn around this dangerous circle of violence.
