Freedom of speech in Spain endangered after arrest of rapper Pablo Hasél and censorship of protest mural

Last weeks events in Spain haven’t gone unnoticed. The arrest of Spanish musician Pablo Hasél has triggered a series of protest and clashes between supporters and the police in several Spanish cities during the last few days.  

In 2018, Hasél was sentenced to two years in prison by Spain’s highest criminal court for what has been described as expressions of “hatred and attacks on honour” though his lyrics and comments, mostly against the then king Juan Carlos de Borbon (the corruption scandals surrounding him aren’t few), as well as (allegedly) the promotion of terrorism.

Last Monday, Hasél was supposed to report to prison at the end of January. He failed to show up seeking instead refuge at the local university where many of his supporters had gathered.
His apprehension has sparked a heated debate on freedom of speech in the country uncovering a deep divide over free speech and the country’s democratic values.

The outdoor exhibition
Joining a long muralist tradition that seeks to challenge authoritarianism, a group of urban artists from Barcelona participated on an event at Parque de las tres chimeneas in Barcelona where several murals where created. The idea behind the outdoor exhibition was to protest against the imprisonment of Hasél and address a collective concern over what they see as an unjust attack on a fellow artist’s freedom of expression.

Unfortunately, and despite of been an event previously approved by the authorities, it only took a day before one of the murals was covered by cleaning brigade from the city council escorted by the police.
The mural in question (image below) was painted by Roc BlackBlock and was the only mural censored in this occasion.

Since last Monday, the Barcelona City Council has apologized, ensuring that the erasure of the work has not been ordered for any kind of political motivation and proposing to the artist to remake this piece, a fact yet to be determined. At the same time, an investigation has been opened from the consistory to clarify responsibilities and review certain protocols. To date, the identity of the authority responsible for covering the piece has not been made public.

This Sunday, a group of graffiti artists gathered in front of a wall at Jardines de las Tres Chimemeas in Barcelona to paint in solidarity with Pablo Hasél and against censorship and self-censorship. Once again with images alluding to the dictator Francisco Franco, the former king and other figures of the Spanish transition period. This in order to repaint the covered wall by Roc Blackblock.

Understandably, Hasél’s arrest has been followed by growing anger and disgust over a video that showed a woman making an anti-Semitic speech during a neo-fascist rally held in Madrid last weekend. With good reason.