Democracia
18 Portraits, 2014
Series of 18 photographs
Courtesy of the artists and a/political

 

Despite strong opposition and condemnation in late 2014, the Spanish Parliament passed the Basic Law for the Protection of Public Security. This new legislation fundamentally revoked civil liberties, including the right to peaceful assembly and banned dissemination of photographs of police officers. As a consequence of these new restrictions enforced under the pretext of public safety, Democracia were prosecuted for the series of photographs put on display at ADN Galería, Barcelona. The eighteen portraits of riot police, just like others from ‘We Protect You From Yourselves’ series were taken in 2012 in Madrid during rallies. Democracia were fined €600,000, a sum not applied before to an individual, or risked three years in prison. The prolonged court case ended with Democracia successfully proving that their motives were not criminal. Referring to the provisions of Article 20 of the Spanish Constitution, the official court resolution stated, ‘what has been done by the members of Democracia was within the exercise of a constitutional right as is the exercise of the right to artistic freedom.’