Hundreds of people marched in Barcelona on Saturday to protest against harsh measures by authorities following a series of violent protests over the imprisonment of Pablo Hasél, an artist who opposes the system.
Saturday’s march took place under the heavy presence of the police, meandering on several roads of the Catalan regional capital. Protesters marched behind a banner demanding the release of Hasel and some of his followers.
Hasél is serving a nine-month sentence for inciting terrorist acts – he praised two now-defunct armed groups responsible for killing more than 900 people in Spain – and for refusing to pay a fine for insulting the Spanish emeritus king.
His February 16 arrest sparked peaceful and violent protests that sometimes led to shoplifting in several cities. The case also fueled a debate about the limits of freedom of expression in Spain.
We recommend:
The ruling left-wing coalition has promised to launch a legal reform to eliminate prison sentences for crimes involving freedom of expression. The coalition’s junior partner, the far-left United We Can, has applied for a pardon for Hasél.
Eight people were jailed for being part of a group that protested against the rapper’s prison and set fire to a police van, an incident in which an officer barely escaped the flames.
They face possible charges of attempted murder, assault on law enforcement officers and being part of a criminal group.