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In a recent radio interview, Spanish Supreme Court President Gonzalo Moliner has said that “‘escraches’, or demonstrations to shame officials that are often held outside their homes, constitute a legitimate example of the freedom to demonstrate, provided they are not violent, which they are not.”
The protest technique is increasingly used by groups campaigning against the eviction of families that are unable to repay their mortgages. Spain's judges, who are mainly opposed to evictions, are divided on the issue of the legality of the protests, which can be viewed as a violation of the right to privacy.
The Supreme Court President’s remarks have spread like “political wildfire in an atmosphere that was already strained,” notes El Mundo, which wonders in its editorial how this kind of coercion can be considered legitimate.
