There's been an ongoing debate in Spain's Parliament on the reform of current mortgage laws after the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca [Platform of People Affected by Mortgages, or PAH] proposed the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) [es] in defense of those whose houses are in foreclosure. The PAH has made its voice heard recently through passive but overwhelming escrache protests [a form of targeted public demonstrations] in banks and the governing Popular Party (PP) headquarters, and outside the private residences of members of the PP, which currently holds an absolute majority in Parliament making it, in a sense, the only party that currently holds legislative powers. PAH Madrid explains [es]: (Se) informará a los Diputados de los partidos que pretenden rebajar sustancialmente el contenido de la ILP sobre la situación de los hipotecados. (…) se irá a informar a los Diputados presencialmente, por ejemplo en actos públicos. Puesto que muchos no conocen de primera mano el sufrimiento de la población, es necesario ir a llevar la realidad de los afectados allá donde estén los Diputados. This will teach the politicians who try to cut substantial provisions relating to mortgages from the ILP. (…) We will personally inform our politicians, one way is through public demonstrations. The thing is that most politicians have no first hand knowledge of the suffering that is going on among the people, needing that reality be brought to where the politicians are. Such protests are not welcomed by politicians who feel that the boundaries of their personal lives are not being respected and their privacy invaded. Maria Dolores de Cospedal, Secretary General of the Popular Party, dubbed the last 13 days of escrache protests “pure nazism”: [Cospedal] considera que las polémicas protestas domiciliarias (…) reflejan “un espíritu totalitario y sectario” y un intento de “tratar de violentar el voto” y las reglas de la representatividad democrática. Así, en su opinión, “por muy loable y defendible” que sea la causa de las víctimas de desahucios, “pierde todo el sentido” con estos “acosos”. [Cospedal] thinks the controversial home protests (…) reflect a “totalitarian and sectarian spirit” that aims to “bring violence to the vote” and the norms of representative democracy. In her opinion, no matter how “laudable or defendable” the eviction victims’ cause may be, the cause “loses its credibility” in this harassment. In response, PP members have asked police to require a 300 meter perimeter from protesters, requesting that they identify protesters, and in some cases altogether stop the “escraches.” However, some judges and police are refusing to intervene. According to Judges for Democracy [es] member Joaquim Bosh: A PAH escrache protest in Zaragoza. Photo from the blog El ventano [las medidas] represivas y policiales no son la solución para resolver el conflicto (…) cualquier protesta que tenga un carácter pacífico no tiene por qué constituir delito. (…) mientras no haya un riesgo concreto, debe prevalecer el derecho de la libertad de expresión de los manifestantes. repressive measures and police involvement are not the solution for this problem (…) a peaceful protest does not constitute a crime. (…) until there is a true risk, we must preserve freedom of expression and the right to protest. Nevertheless, a strong police presence has been felt at recent “escraches” ensuring that protesters keep a safe distance from their intended targets. In some instances, this presence has resulted in the arrest of protesters. Some PP members, like national boardmember Sigfrid Soria, have said they cannot be bothered to worry about the protests. Soria recently tweeted the following, which was denounced by fellow PP members and resulted in his dismissal from organizational responsibilities within the Party. SigfridSoria: Eso sí, como un perroflauta me acose por la calle, me intimide o agreda, la ostia que se lleva ni se la va a creer If these potheads are going to come after me on the street and try to intimidate me or be aggresive towards me, they're not going to believe the response they're going to get. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary General of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) Elena Valenciano criticized the forcefulness with which PP members are trying to surpress the escraches. She points out that clinics performing legal abortions have endured protests for years and the government has never stepped or limited these groups’ freedom of expression. To further her point, Valenciano uploaded a photo to her Facebook page of one such protest at a clinic. A photo of protesters blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic posted on Facebook by Elena Valenciano.