FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION DEMONSTRATIONS IN BARCELONA FEBRUARY 2021

For lyrics like these, in March 2017, the prosecution requested a further sentence of two years and nine months against Pablo Hasel, Catalan communist rapper, for crimes of “slander and insults against the Crown” and insults against State institutions. More than 300 Spanish artists from different cultural disciplines had signed a manifesto supporting the rapper’s freedom, but the National Court dismissed the appeal. On February 16th 2021, Hasel was arrested at the University of Lerida. Amnesty International stood by the side of Hasel and the Strasbourg European Council condemned the Spanish government for violating the freedom of expression- “a crucial and necessary right for a free and pluralistic public debate” – and stipulated legal reforms to the Penal Code.

On the day of Hasel’s arrest, a wave of mass protests began in numerous cities and lasted two weeks. 200 people were detained and around 200 were injured in altercations of police violence. The protests began as a social movement for freedom of expression but ended up assuming more and more the voice of general dissent towards the historical period in which we are living.

On 27th of February of 2021 and during one of these protests, there were 25 people detained. From these, our 8 comrades Sara, Maria, Alberto, Danilo, Jalienne, Emmanuele, Ermanno and Luca, were imprisoned and kept in provisional prison awaiting trial with very strong accusations; accusations that we consider part of a common and strategic attack against everyone’s rights to go in the streets and protest for their rights.

For this reason, no presumption of innocence was taken into account by the court, and the Mossos’s (Catalan police force) declaration letter was reproduced in all the media, being assumed as the only truth; all these in order to put an end to the spontaneous demonstrations that had arisen throughout the country for freedom of expression.

So far, only two of the defendants have been released pending trial, maintaining all charges; while the others 6 are still waiting in prison indefinitely due to the risk of flight since they are not Spanish nationals. However, there have been two court hearings to request their release.

The legal expenses to demonstrate the truth and resist against this framing by the police that attacks us all as protesters, are very high and we are aware that this is another tactic to weaken us. For this we need the help of all those who fight for freedom. We need the money to continue to pay for attorneys, expertise, and the daily expenses of our fellow comrades in jail.

SOLIDARIDAD CON LXS 8 PRESXS DE 27F EN BARCELONA

Por letras como estas, en marzo de 2017, la fiscalía solicitó dos años y nueve meses más de condena contra Pablo Hasel por delitos de "calumnias e injurias contra la Corona" y "calumnias e injurias contra las instituciones del Estado". Más de 300 artistas españoles de distintas disciplinas culturales habían firmado un manifiesto apoyando la libertad del rapero pero la Audiencia Nacional desestimó el recurso . El 16 de Febrero de 2021, Pablo Hasel fue detenido en la Universidad de Lerida. Amnistia Internacional dio su apoyo a Pablo Hasel, y el Consejo Europeo de Estrasburgo condeno al gobierno Espanol por violar la libertad de expresion - ‘ un derecho crucial y necesario para un debate publico libre y pluralista’ – y estipulo reformas legales del Codigo Penal.

El dia de su detencion empezo una ola de protestas multitudinarias en numerosas ciudades que duro dos semanas. 200 personas fueron detenidas y alrededor de 200 resultaron heridas en altercados de violencia policial. Las protestas empezaron como un movimiento social por la libertad de expresion pero que han acabado asumiendo cada vez mas la voz del disenso general hacia el periodo historico que estamos viviendo.

Por eso, no hubo nada de presumpcion de inocencia, y el escrito de los mossos fue reproducido en todos los medios de comunicacion, repitiendolo y asumiendolo como la unica verdad, para poner un fin a las manifestaciones espontaneas que habian surgido en todo el pais para la lbertad de expresion.

Hasta ahora, solamente dos de lxs acusadxs han sido puestxs en libertad a la espera del juicio, manteniendo todos los cargos; mientras que lxs otrxs 6 siguen esperando en prision indeterminadamente por riesgo de fuga ya que no son de nacionalidad espanola, aunque hayan habido dos vistas judiciales en las que no se ha podido probar que los jovenes fueran culpables de ninguno de los cargos.

Los gastos judiciales para demonstrar la verdad y resistir contra el montaje policial que nos ataca todxs como manifestantes, son muy altos y somos conscientes que esta es otra tactica para debilitarnos, por esto necesitamos el ayuda de todos los que luchan por la libertad.