Spanish police have marched in Madrid to protest the ‘Gag Law’ reform by Reuters

By Miguel Gutierrez and Marco Trujillo

MADRID (Reuters) – Thousands of Spanish police left Madrid on Saturday to protest a proposed security law reform that would hinder their ability to do their job.

Politicians from the three main conservative parties in Spain joined the police in protesting the proposed changes to the 2015 Citizen Security Act, claiming that it violates the right of protesters and restricts freedom of expression.

Opponents of what they call the “Gag Act” allow the law to impose fines on media outlets for unauthorized distribution of police images, severely restrict demonstrations, and impose heavy fines on offenders.

The Spanish left-wing government has proposed reforms, including not taking photographs of demonstrations or making police recordings as a serious offense.

According to the changes, police will have to use less harmful material in the protests after several people were seriously injured as a result of rubber bullets fired by agents.

The length of time suspects arrested in protests can be incarcerated will be reduced from six to two hours and the fines will be proportional to how much the offenders earn.

“The current law should be left in place or improved for the police and the public,” Civil Guard Vanessa Gonzalez told Reuters.

Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros of the far-right Vox party said: “There is strong opposition to this (reform) law. It is against our police and we will not give up.”

However, Isa Serra, a spokeswoman for the far-left Unidas Podemos party, said in a speech in northern Cantabria in Spain that the law had “done great damage to Spanish democracy”.

Organizers say 150,000 people took part in the demonstration in Madrid, but the government has 20,000.