Spain slides to ninth spot in EU LGBT-rights ranking
• Spain remains within top-10 countries in acceptance of LGBT communities • Assaults, discrimination, hate-speech caused slide on Rainbow Europe index Spain…
Human Rights
Podemos, IU divided over Venezuela vote in Congress
• Unidos Podemos vote split for first time since coalition formed one year ago • PSOE, C’s to back PP resolution calling…
‘Rebels with a cause’ theme of 13th May fair-trade day
• NGOs call on Spanish consumers to support fair and sustainable commerce • CECJ, CONGDE urge swapping ‘slacktivism’ for active support of…
#VIDEO: Amnesty says women hardest-hit by evictions
• Amnistía España cites 34,193 evictions for non-payment of rent in 2016 alone • Affordable housing crisis hits single-parent families headed by women…
City of Madrid to remove 52 Franco-era street names
• Ahora Madrid, PSOE, Ciudadanos vote to remove signs glorifying Franco-era • After tense debate, Partido Popular’s Madrid city councilors abstain from…
Human Rights Watch slams Spain over LGBT asylum
• HRW says LGBT asylum applicants harassed, abused by CETI guards in Ceuta • NGO says Spain policy denies non-Syrian asylum seekers…
Madrid removes Condor Legion cemetery monument
• Monument removed on 80th anniversary of Condor Legion’s Guernica bombing • Seven Condor Legion aviators reburied in simple, individually marked graves…
Amnesty Madrid 10k bike ride to urge #JusticeForSyria
• Amnistía cycle ride to shine light on Syria gov’t torture, extrajudicial killings • Rights NGO estimates 13,000 opponents of regime hung…
NGOs caution children, families still at risk of poverty
• Despite uptick in household income, child poverty rate remains at 29.7 percent • Nearly 1/4 of Spaniards at risk of poverty,…
Spanish LGBT groups to protest Chechnya persecution
• Activists to hold protest marches, rallies in Madrid, cities nationwide today • Chechnyan LGBT community facing pledge of ‘extermination’ by government…
Andalucia law tries again to stem foreclosures, evictions
• Previous law expropriating bank-owned properties ruled ‘unconstitutional’ • Second attempt gives gov’t right to buy foreclosed homes to avoid evictions The…
Lincoln Brigade to honor Proactiva refugee-rescue NGO
• Barcelona-based NGO to receive annual human rights award, US$100,000 prize • Sponsors cite history of Spanish Civil War refugees, Lincoln Brigade…
Prison sentence given 21-year-old for satirical Tweets
• Series of satirical Tweets from 2013-15 land Murcian student jail sentence • Tweets joked about ETA assassination of Franco minister four…
Hazte Oir’s transphobic message meets with resistance
• Ultra-Catholic group’s message deemed hate-speech, discriminatory in Spain • Activists attack bus in New York, as group tries to internationalize its…
Historical Memory law puts focus on ‘Butcher of Sevilla’
• Quiepo de Llano’s tomb in Sevilla’s Macarena basilica in violation of new law • Civil War general promoted extrajudicial killings, wholesale…
Spain gets mixed review in 2016 UN development report
• Spain’s ranking on annual development survey slides one position to 1990 level • Women’s lot improves in areas of education, participation…
Opposition parties begin repeal of PP’s 2015 ‘Gag Law’
• Measures introduced by PNV, PSOE have support to overturn controversial law • Passed by 2015 PP majority, law curbs rights to…
Podemos to demand ‘rights for all’ in marches Saturday
• Party to launch series of marches to push for full access to basic services • Podemos say politico-economic-media cabal denies to…
Judge in Alicante orders Franco-era signage restored
• Alicante council’s decision to remove 46 Franco-era signs overturned by court • City vows to appeal lower court decision to Valencia…
#VIDEO: MdM awards Luis Valtueña photo prize
• Médicos del Mundo awards Luis Valtueña prize to Russian Sergei Stroitelev • 270 photographers from 45 counties in 2017 humanitarian photo…
Disabled passengers to protest Ryanair in Madrid
• Protest rally salted for Saturday at Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas airport • Airline charged with discriminating against disabled passengers at boarding Budget…
Thousands rally in Bilbao over ETA prisoner policy
• Some 78,000 protested dispersion of ETA inmates to 40 jails across Spain • Protesters demand ETA prisoners be able to serve…
#VIDEO: COGAM kicks off 2017 with gay pride video
• Madrid LGBT Collective video issues call to protect diversity, guarantee equality • 30-year-old activist group sets sights on 2017 as year…
Progressive Spain’s Top Ten Video Posts for 2016
Following are 2016’s ‘Top Ten Videos’ posted at Progressive Spain … for your viewing pleasure over the year-end holidays … See you…
Vatican mayors’ summit calls for refugee sanctuary
• European mayors to create ‘network of cities’ for refugee relief, resettlement • Despite Spanish government opposition, ‘Mayors of Change’ pledge support…
#VIDEO: Amnesty Spain calls out for volunteers
• International Human Rights Day set for Saturday, Dec. 10th • Amnesty calls for volunteers in ‘Gente como tú’ (‘People Like You’)…
#VIDEO: PAH rallies to protest Barcelona evictions
• Anti-eviction activist group launches week of events, demonstrations • Spain’s anti-eviction activist group PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca, ‘Platform…
Reform to Spain’s ‘Historical Memory’ law proposed
• Proposal bolsters 2007 law, creates ‘Truth Commission’ on Franco-era abuses • Spain may finally get a ‘Truth Commission’ to examine rights…
Nationwide rallies Dec. 12th to protest war in Syria
• Facebook campaign goes viral, anti-war demonstrations to be held in 13 cities • Peaceful rallies to focus on plight of 470,000 war…
Spain’s NGO volunteers get #AplausoGlobal today
• Non-governmental groups encourage ‘solidarity’ as response to world’s woes • Volunteering is way to give ‘most valuable resource, your time’ to help others Volunteer workers…
Amnesty decries migrant treatment at Ceuta, Melilla
• New report condemns Spain’s treatment of migrants at N. African centres • Summary explusions, police abuse, overcrowding violate international accords Amnistía…