The Ertzaintza removed a journalist from Hala Bedi while recording a police action
- The Ertzaintza threatened the journalists of Hala Bedi who warned of the attempted eviction of the feminist space TALKA last Friday, when the events occurred. The City wanted to take off the phone for recording police action and fining a member of the radio with a fine of up to 300.00 euros. Hala Bedi will demand the action of the Ertzaintza. It will continue to report to the press on attacks on freedom of the press and also on violations of rights.
Last Friday, May 8, they tried to evict the feminist space TALKA from Correría Street. Adolfo Domínguez sent an employee to tapiar the entrance to the premises. To respond to the eviction attempt, the members of the TALKA called to walk along Correría Street with the equipment to make noise in their hand. Some journalists from Hala Bedi joined the mobilization.
The Ertzaintza initiated the eviction of Correría Street, in which dozens of people participating in the operation were evicted. In the Ertzaintza procedure, several people were identified and two were arrested.
Threats against a journalist from Hala Bedi
A journalist from Hala Bedi who was recording police action received threats from an agent from the Ertzaintza, who claimed that he had not arrested anyone. The latter warned the journalist that he could not record the police because he was a "natural person" and so required by the "Royal Data Protection Decree of 25 May 2018". It was discussed there, saying yes, that the journalist of Hala Bedi could record all police intervention on the street, and that the member of the Ertzaintza no, that because of the right to preserve her image, he had to stop recording the journalists. At first he told him to stop recording and, once he stopped recording, he asked the journalist to remove the images. The Ertzainas repeatedly threatened to remove his cell phone, to commit a crime of disobedience and to take him in detention, and to pay a fine of between EUR 40,000 and EUR 300,000 if the image was used in any way, and others.
The police lengthened the discussion and at the end the police took off Hala Bedi's colleague's mobile phone. After having had the journalist's telephone for half an hour, he returned it, arguing that he had to be registered at the College of Journalists to record, and that, having doubts, he would return it, repeating that he had the journalist's name saved and that, if the images were published, he would be punished with up to 300,000 €.
Recording is not a crime
The reality, however, is that every citizen, whether a journalist or not, has the right to record the police, as they are active public officials, and the right to citizen information ensures that police action can be documented.
Hala Bedi is going to take Hala Bedi to court to claim police action last Friday. He shall evaluate any legal action taken against the agent of the Ertzaintza who removed the telephone and shall file a complaint. Without any legal basis, the aggressive attitude of the Ertzaintza was to obstruct the work of the journalists of Hala Bedi, violating the right to information.
Attacks on freedom of the press
The aggressive attitude of the Ertzaintza, collected in video, was not the only one that Hala Bedi journalists suffered on Friday: some members of the radio had to suffer threats, identifications and difficulties to carry out their work. Even when the situation calmed down, the persecution of journalists did not stop.
Attempts to obstruct the activity of journalists have multiplied in recent years, with numerous complaints and threats of fines, to prevent the taking of images of police activity. This threat was exacerbated by the entry into force in 2015 of the Moorish Law and the ease with which the powers and complaints of the police forces were channelled.
Friday's are not the only attacks that have been received by journalists and members of this media by the police. The Local Police of Vitoria-Gasteiz threatened and hampered the work of a member of Hala Bedi who was photographing the General Strike on 30 January. In 2017, the Basque Government imposed the Moorish Law on journalist Mikel Saenz de Buruaga, who was reporting on the light cut in Errekaleor, after breaking his phone. Hala Bedi sued the Basque Government and won the trial after a long two-year trial.
In addition to apiaries, there are many other examples, and far from being isolated cases, they respond to a continuous attack on Hala Bedi’s activity and freedom of the press. Hala Bedi considers these attacks on the right to information intolerable. In view of this, Hala Bedi will continue to report, disseminate images of police abuse and denounce violations of rights, because it is a right of all and all.
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