FriskyCanuck

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,103
Toronto, Canada
apnews.com

Spain arrests 80 in 3 nights of riots over rapper's jailing

Protests over the imprisonment of a rapper convicted for insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorist violence have morphed for the third night in a row into rioting.

The protests began peacefully late Wednesday in dozens of Spanish provincial capitals and other towns in the northeastern Catalonia region, home to the rapper Pablo Hasél. But as the evening wore on they turned violent, with rioting, impromptu barricades made from trash containers and fires, and damage to shops.

In Madrid, Barcelona and smaller cities, anti-riot police fired rubber or foam bullets at baton-charged protesters, who threw objects at officers and set trash containers alight. Some used overturned motorbikes to block streets.

In the Spanish capital alone, police arrested 19 people, including six minors. Emergency services assisted 35 injured anti-riot officers and 20 others, including protesters and people who passed by and were caught in the melee.

In Barcelona, 29 people were arrested and at least eight were injured and sent to hospitals, the regional emergency service said Thursday. The night before, a young protester lost an eye night as a result of a foam projectile used by the regional Mossos d'Esquadra police to dispel the protesters.
Some of the gravest riots on Wednesday night took place near the Lleida prison, where Hasél was taken Tuesday. Police arrested him at a university building where he had barricaded himself 24 hours earlier to draw attention to his arrest.

The rapper and his supporters say that Hasél's nine-month sentence for writing a critical song about former King Juan Carlos I and dozens of tweets that judges said glorified some of Spain's extinct terrorist groups violates free speech rights.

Potentially deepening the tension, court authorities in the northeastern region of Catalonia said Thursday that Hasél lost a recent appeal and is looking at an additional prison sentence of 2 1/2 years for obstructing justice and assault in 2017. The sentence can be appealed again before a higher court.
His legal situation has drawn considerable public attention because it comes on the back of a string of other artists and social media personalities that have been put on trial for violating Spain's 2015 Public Security Law, which was enacted by a previous conservative-led government and criticized by human rights organizations.

Spain's left-wing coalition government wants to change the country's criminal code to eliminate prison terms for offenses involving freedom of speech, especially when it comes in the form of artistic expression. The junior member of the coalition, the far-left United We Can (Unidas Podemos) party, has said it will work to grant a pardon to Hasél.


apnews.com

EXPLAINER: Why Spaniards are rioting over rapper's jailing

MADRID (AP) — Riots broke out in many Spanish cities this week during freedom of speech protests over the jailing of a little-known rapper for insulting the Spanish monarchy and praising terrorism.

Hasél has ruffled many feathers and irked authorities over the past decade. In the insults to the monarchy, he described the former king as "a mafia mobster, pillaging the Spanish kingdom."

In tweets, he referred to a late member of the defunct armed Basque terrorist group ETA as having been "exterminated by the torturing state." In other compositions, he praised other terror groups and advocated bomb attacks on Spanish state TV and Basque Socialist politician Patxi López.

While some saw this as exercise of his right to free expression, the law opined otherwise.
Under fire is the Public Security Law, drawn up by a previous conservative government, which many felt was designed to curtail anti-government protests and protect police.

The law has been used against other rappers and tweeters — even puppeteers. Hasél's case triggered criticism from Amnesty International and spurred a petition by some 200 cultural figures, including film director Pedro Almodóvar and actor Javier Bardem.

The coalition government, sensing the growing pressure, promised to amend the criminal code to eliminate prison terms for offenses involving freedom of speech.
With more protests being called, the Spanish government and police forces are tasked with calming the situation on the streets and easing the political debate.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez government has defended the police and slammed the violence, but he must contain the split with his far-left coalition partner. United We Can's avoidance of publicly condemning the violence has fueled opposition calls for the expulsion of its leader from government, which could topple the coalition and trigger fresh national elections.

This law seems like a fascist's wet dream to me.
 

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
Editing out my post since I didn't read the damn article thoroughly enough.

I've been coming in with too many poorly thought out takes lately.
 
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squeakywheel

Member
Oct 29, 2017
6,537
Canada
Monarchies are a waste of taxpayer money. They can self sustain without help. They should be criticized. The Thai monarchy's anti criticism law is especially egregious.
 

edo_kid

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,112
In tweets, he referred to a late member of the defunct armed Basque terrorist group ETA as having been "exterminated by the torturing state." In other compositions, he praised other terror groups and advocated bomb attacks on Spanish state TV and Basque Socialist politician Patxi López.

I was on his side until this, he lost me at this part.
 

Kainé

Member
Oct 26, 2017
625
He attacked a journalist last year too. He has some weird records in it's life.
 

MGPanda

Banned
Feb 25, 2018
2,632
I'm sorry, but I can't support this. I'm as leftist as it can be, but this is not about "insulting monarchy". He's targeted politicians and journalists, and I believe he was even charged for assault a few years ago. Besides, he's been arrested because he's been called multiple times to testify and he's avoided it until now.

Everyone should be able to say "fuck the crown" and "fuck this dude", but there's a huge gap between that and "let's kill this person".

That said, on the main topic at hand, yeah, monarchies can all go fuck themselves. I still can't believe we have such a waste of money in 2021 and what's even worse, people defending it and getting angry about it.
 

Weltall Zero

Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
I was on his side until this, he lost me at this part.

As a Spaniard I clicked into this thread meaning to correct some slight burying of the lede going on with that absurdly misleading and sensationalist headline, including the point above, singing lyrics like "I don't feel pity about your shot in the back of the head" (referencing ETA's well-known political assassination practice) and calling for specific people's assassinations via terrorism, plus two separate jail sentences for actual physical assault, including against a witness.

This is one of the cases where "no angel" is not only accurate but kind of an understatement. Do I advocate for him being jailed? It's a really shitty situation and a very hard decision to make, with very fucked up ramifications regardless of the outcome. Pick your poison: do you prefer to legitimize advocating for literal terrorism, or encroaching on freedom of expression? Also please note there's division between the two ruling parties on whether he should go to jail or not, with the more leftist one advocating for his release.

To anyone outside Spain looking to quickly pass judgement on this, please inform yourself as to who this person is romanticising, cheering for and defending:
 

Ikuu

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,294
I think a lot of people are going to respond without reading more details about this.
 

edo_kid

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,112
Reading more on this guy only made it worse, he even got sentenced in the past for threats against a witness.

Yeah that detail should be in the headline for sure!

Its hard to feel any compassion for someone that seems to think ETA should be praised.

As a Spaniard I clicked into this thread meaning to correct some slight burying of the lede going on with that absurdly misleading and sensationalist headline, including the point above, singing lyrics like "I don't feel pity about your shot in the back of the head" (referencing ETA's well-known political assassination practice) and calling for specific people's assassinations via terrorism, plus two separate jail sentences for actual physical assault, including against a witness.

This is one of the cases where "no angel" is not only accurate but kind of an understatement. Do I advocate for him being jailed? It's a really shitty situation and a very hard decision to make, with very fucked up ramifications regardless of the outcome. Pick your poison: do you prefer to legitimize advocating for literal terrorism, or encroaching on freedom of expression? Also please note there's division between the two ruling parties on whether he should go to jail or not, with the more leftist one advocating for his release.

Agree 100%
 

Apathy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,376
you want to criticize the monarchy, go for it, you want to praise terrorist groups that want to bomb shit, yeah, not cool
 

nded

Member
Nov 14, 2017
11,125
Whew yeah, this goes beyond simple criticism of monarchy.

That law still sounds like some bullshit.
 

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,003
Finland
That Drake meme template would work for this. Go for it and insult the monarchy, but big no to praising terrorism. And no to other violence too.
 
Oct 27, 2017
5,618
Spain
The guy has several convictions for death threats, encouraging to kill several politicians, judges and public figures, assaulting a journalist and a witness at a trial... He's a proper piece of shit that should be in prison. However, this particular conviction is bullshit and the public security law needs to be changed asap.
 

ShadowAUS

Member
Feb 20, 2019
2,427
Australia
I think a lot of people are going to respond without reading more details about this.
Most definitely, though that's also very much partly the fault of most of the headlines going around about this. It's a complicated situation, much more so than a lot of the surrounding discussion I've seen.

The guy has several convictions for death threats, encouraging to kill several politicians, judges and public figures, assaulting a journalist and a witness at a trial... He's a proper piece of shit that should be in prison. However, this particular conviction is bullshit and the public security law needs to be changed asap.
This is pretty much where I fall on this. He's absolutely not a good person and shouldn't be any kind of martyr, but I'm with Amnesty International on that this conviction is BS and that Spain's Gag Law is something that shouldn't exist in its current form (or potentially any form).
 

Weltall Zero

Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
and that Spain's Gag Law is something that shouldn't exist in its current form (or potentially any form).

It absolutely is utter bullshit. It was put into place by the then-right wing government, but it's very worrying that the current leftist ruling coalition seems to be in no hurry to walk it back. It would be great if this controversy is the drop that makes them finally move their fucking asses about it.
 

ShadowAUS

Member
Feb 20, 2019
2,427
Australia
/snip

To anyone outside Spain looking to quickly pass judgement on this, please inform yourself as to who this person is romanticising, cheering for and defending:
To add onto that final note, here's some more of the fine fellows that have received mentions from Pablo.

Even if I politically agree with parts of a lot of these groups, take a look at their rap sheets and try to argue that they are worth even the slightest bit of praise.

It absolutely is utter bullshit. It was put into place by the then-right wing government, but it's very worrying that the current leftist ruling coalition seems to be in no hurry to walk it back. It would be great if this controversy is the drop that makes them finally move their fucking asses about it.
Name a more iconic duo than large left leaning political factions/parties/groups and failing their constituents in most ways possible on the, what sometimes seems inevitable, slide into our totalitarian dystopian hellscape.

Sadly only being slightly tongue in cheek :'(
 
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Atolm

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,927
It's illegal to defend armed and murderous terrorists in here for very obvious reasons. They were killing people until pretty much yesterday.

He also tweeted very mysoginistic stuff years ago so he can go fuck himself.
 

Weltall Zero

Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
There was nothing inaccurate about the original thread title.

I never said it was inaccurate, I said it was misleading. If John slapped Robert, and then killed him, then saying "John was jailed after slapping Robert" is indeed not inaccurate (in that it reports a sequence of events that indeed happened in that order), but it sure as fuck is misleading.

Name a more iconic duo than large left leaning political factions/parties/groups and failing their constituents in most ways possible on the, what sometimes seems inevitable, slide into our totalitarian dystopian hellscape.

Sadly only being slightly tongue in cheek :'(

Yeah, Spain is a long history of ruling right wing parties shifting the status quo to the right, then ruling (supposedly) left wing parties sitting on their hands. The current state of public health care due to budget cut after cut with no serious attempt at a rollback from the left is just one of the most visible examples.
 

Joni

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,508
Situation keeps escalating but largely seems the usual bored of Corona restrictions youth wanting to burn down stuff.
 

Mechaplum

Enlightened
Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,777
JP
With these sorts, you know even if the monarchy was brought down they wouldn't stop. What group will be next?
 

nelsonroyale

Member
Oct 28, 2017
12,249
Hmm, this is a difficult one. Rappers can rap about shooting down other rappers, but not politicians? I am against the jail sentence....I can agree in many cases with deplatforming straight up Nazis, but don't agree that people can't express controversial views...I mean itis one thing to rapabout shooting a politician, quite another to carry out the actual act. But obviously people on platforms can encourage others to do so. Not familiar with his lyrics to discern whether that is the case.

Also, right with him on the monarchy. Get rid of them all. I mean Prince Andrew over here is very likely a paedophile and yet nada. There is a heck of a lot of corruption in the Spanish legal system as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is mostly or all because he insulted the monarchy, and the idea of the unified Spanish state by praising groups that threaten that. In this case, I don't think the interests of powerful state actors and myself as a citizen allign.

anyway, I am against this. Musicians have a role in stirring the pot. Also, the current Spanish government is against this as far as I can see, which is all to the good from my perspective.
 
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Lishi

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,284
You remove the monarchy part and I don't see how you can defend him.

He is deserving the sentence.
 

Xando

Member
Oct 28, 2017
31,295
After reading up on this he sure seems like an interesting comrade. Jailing someone for insulting the monarchy is bs but he seems to have done a couple other things.
 

eonden

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,376
Yeah, Spain has some problem with some very harsh laws for "terrorism apology" which should have been dialed down at least in the 2010s (after ETA disappeared) and that always ends up biting us in the ass in the European tribunals. Same with protection for church and the monarchy in free speech, some bs stuff that also doesnt end up working even in spain half the time (mainly the church part).

The government is supposed to make changes on the laws this year to fix this up but they are also trying to put changes on the sedition / rebellion laws to free the catalonian politicians so it is taking waaaay longer than it should.
 
Oct 27, 2017
5,618
Spain
You remove the monarchy part and I don't see how you can defend him.

He is deserving the sentence.
I don't know if you are Spanish, but I'll explain my understanding of the situation for the general interest.
He doesn't deserve this particular sentence, the thing is that he's going to prison because he had a previous two year conviction that he was not going to serve for being his first. This is the conviction for death threats, calling for murder of public figures, apology of terrorism and so on. Now, he had a hefty fine for injury to the crown and other institutions, which is completely bullshit, and because he didn't pay, the conditional waiver on serving the sentence is done, and he has to serve his sentence.
The thing is that, in any case, he has a different sentence for assault that is pending judicial review, so he was likely going to go to prison anyway.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,133
What he does is called hate speech.

Issue here for me is not about sending him to jail, but about politicians and public opinion not reacting the same way when there is a Nazi rally in Madrid.
 

deathkiller

Member
Apr 11, 2018
976
Yeah, Spain has some problem with some very harsh laws for "terrorism apology" which should have been dialed down at least in the 2010s (after ETA disappeared) and that always ends up biting us in the ass in the European tribunals. Same with protection for church and the monarchy in free speech, some bs stuff that also doesnt end up working even in spain half the time (mainly the church part).

The government is supposed to make changes on the laws this year to fix this up but they are also trying to put changes on the sedition / rebellion laws to free the catalonian politicians so it is taking waaaay longer than it should.
I think that it's more clear to translate it to "terrorism defence/justification", I think that since terrorism from Isis systematizers is still present it shouldn't be completely removed. Sure the law has been tried to be used for completely bullshit like the case of the puppeteers but that didn't result in a conviction.
 

Joni

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,508

mario_O

Member
Nov 15, 2017
2,771
As a Spaniard I clicked into this thread meaning to correct some slight burying of the lede going on with that absurdly misleading and sensationalist headline, including the point above, singing lyrics like "I don't feel pity about your shot in the back of the head" (referencing ETA's well-known political assassination practice) and calling for specific people's assassinations via terrorism, plus two separate jail sentences for actual physical assault, including against a witness.

This is one of the cases where "no angel" is not only accurate but kind of an understatement. Do I advocate for him being jailed? It's a really shitty situation and a very hard decision to make, with very fucked up ramifications regardless of the outcome. Pick your poison: do you prefer to legitimize advocating for literal terrorism, or encroaching on freedom of expression? Also please note there's division between the two ruling parties on whether he should go to jail or not, with the more leftist one advocating for his release.

To anyone outside Spain looking to quickly pass judgement on this, please inform yourself as to who this person is romanticising, cheering for and defending:
There's a huge difference between song lyrics that don't pose a real terrorist threat, and an actual terrorist threat.

"Pablo Hasél's prison is the clearest sign of the legal setback in freedoms in the last decade, designed by former ministers Gallardón and Fernández Díaz. The Penal Code must be thoroughly reviewed. It is typical of authoritarian states to punish expressions with jail". Joaquim Bosch , Spanish magistrate and jurist. And spokesperson for the organization Judges for Democracy.

 

Ferrs

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
18,884
Dude is a fucking asshole and probably deserve jail for some shit he did.

It's also true that we still have many fascists laws, and I think that's something that we don't want to forget only because this guy is an ass.
 

mario_O

Member
Nov 15, 2017
2,771
Dude is a fucking asshole and probably deserve jail for some shit he did.

It's also true that we still have many fascists laws, and I think that's something that we don't want to forget only because this guy is an ass.
He's a an asshole, but he shouldn't be in jail for his lyrics. And lets not forget that according to Freemuse, an NGO that works for the United Nations, Spain is the country in the world with most imprisoned artists, above Iran and Turkey. That is something.

freemuse.org

The State of Artistic Freedom 2020 - Freemuse

Freemuse’s new report State of Artistic Freedom 2020 is an in-depth analysis of 711 acts of v
 

Tiamant

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,465
It's a pity that such a bad person is becoming a martyr for so many. He is an asshole but the way this is being handled is a mess.

Let's remember that other way less incendiary artists have been jailed too.
The people looting the streets under the guise of pacific freedom of expression can go fuck themselves too. Not to say that what the police did last night in Barcelona was okay. I live in Gràcia and what happened yesterday should get half of the police dpt fired.

in the end we have:

-a mediocre rapper who has probably reached the limit of freedom of expression (wishing explicit harm into others/supporting terrorists)

-an outdated constitution that doesn't contemplate punishment other than prison when this happens.

-a government that splits into 2 whenever any issue comes up

-a bloodthirsty police department that ignores the looters (mostly) and targets the pacific demonstrators.

-(not all) people thinking the rapper is being jailed only for speaking against the monarchy.

The whole circus is out but in the end only one side is being beaten into the ground.
 

Weltall Zero

Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
There's a huge difference between song lyrics that don't pose a real terrorist threat, and an actual terrorist threat.

Sure, and in this case we're taking about actual threats:

«Quienes manejan los hilos merecen mil kilos de amonal»

«Es un error no escuchar lo que canto, como Terra Lliure dejando vivo a Losantos»

«No me da pena tu tiro en la nuca, 'pepero'. Me da pena el que muere en una patera. No me da pena tu tiro en la nuca, 'socialisto'. Me da pena el que muere en un andamio»

«¡Merece que explote el coche de Patxi López!»

«Siempre hay algún indigente despierto con quien comentar que se debe matar a Aznar»

«Mi hermano entra en la sede del PP gritando ¡Gora ETA! A mí no me venden el cuento de quiénes son los malos, sólo pienso en matarlos»

«Pienso en balas que nucas de jueces nazis alcancen»

«¡Que alguien clave un piolet en la cabeza a José Bono!»


"Pablo Hasél's prison is the clearest sign of the legal setback in freedoms in the last decade, designed by former ministers Gallardón and Fernández Díaz. The Penal Code must be thoroughly reviewed. It is typical of authoritarian states to punish expressions with jail". Joaquim Bosch , Spanish magistrate and jurist. And spokesperson for the organization Judges for Democracy.



The biggest takeaway is that it seems the gag law is being rolled back at long freaking last? Standing ovation for that even if it took them until this debacle to stop sitting on their hands.

Dude is a fucking asshole and probably deserve jail for some shit he did.

It's also true that we still have many fascists laws, and I think that's something that we don't want to forget only because this guy is an ass.

It's a pity that such a bad person is becoming a martyr for so many. He is an asshole but the way this is being handled is a mess.

Let's remember that other way less incendiary artists have been jailed too.
The people looting the streets under the guise of pacific freedom of expression can go fuck themselves too. Not to say that what the police did last night in Barcelona was okay. I live in Gràcia and what happened yesterday should get half of the police dpt fired.

in the end we have:

-a mediocre rapper who has probably reached the limit of freedom of expression (wishing explicit harm into others/supporting terrorists)

-an outdated constitution that doesn't contemplate punishment other than prison when this happens.

-a government that splits into 2 whenever any issue comes up

-a bloodthirsty police department that ignores the looters (mostly) and targets the pacific demonstrators.

-(not all) people thinking the rapper is being jailed only for speaking against the monarchy.

The whole circus is out but in the end only one side is being beaten into the ground.

Yep. All of the above.
 

Adrifi

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Jan 5, 2019
3,466
the Spanish Basque Country
User Banned (2 Months): Advocating Prison Assault; Prior Bans for Various Infractions Including Downplaying Racism
This guy openly supports ETA. Being Basque myself I know some people who had a relative murdered by that group. Fuck him. Hope bad stuff happens to him in prison.
 
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Statux

Banned
Jan 13, 2020
711
Honestly the guy is a jerk, but I would I have gone to the pacific rallies if I didnt have to work. Our Constitution is a mess and the monarchy, a long term Francoist stain.

It cannot be said enough: los Borbones son unos ladrones
 

mario_O

Member
Nov 15, 2017
2,771
Sure, and in this case we're taking about actual threats:

«Quienes manejan los hilos merecen mil kilos de amonal»

«Es un error no escuchar lo que canto, como Terra Lliure dejando vivo a Losantos»

«No me da pena tu tiro en la nuca, 'pepero'. Me da pena el que muere en una patera. No me da pena tu tiro en la nuca, 'socialisto'. Me da pena el que muere en un andamio»

«¡Merece que explote el coche de Patxi López!»

«Siempre hay algún indigente despierto con quien comentar que se debe matar a Aznar»

«Mi hermano entra en la sede del PP gritando ¡Gora ETA! A mí no me venden el cuento de quiénes son los malos, sólo pienso en matarlos»

«Pienso en balas que nucas de jueces nazis alcancen»

«¡Que alguien clave un piolet en la cabeza a José Bono!»




The biggest takeaway is that it seems the gag law is being rolled back at long freaking last? Standing ovation for that even if it took them until this debacle to stop sitting on their hands.





Yep. All of the above.