Sexual Harassment, Pub Crawls & Drinking Alcohol will be Fined if ANNOYING
Ada Colau's Government proposed modifying anti-social laws, differentiating between vulnerable and anti-social people, while focusing on use of public spaces when it is a nuisance, "from a more social than criminal approach"
BARCELONA NIGHTLIFE
"The new laws won't treat all cases equally: there are social cases due to loneliness, exclusion and problems which must be dealt with by Social Services, and not because of anti-social behaviour and causing a nuisance" - Deputy Mayor Jaume Asens
He emphasized Colau's Government goal is to move from the general public's right to use the city and to pursue exclusive and intense use of public spaces which may be annoying, and to improve equity, guarantees and efficiency, since currently 70% of fines aren't paid!
They propose to reduce sanctions which are "more proportional" and are the last resort - prioritizing community restitution work, especially in the offender's neighbourhood - except in cases due to noise and/or drinking alcohol when it's a nuisance, in which case, they propose to increase sanctions.
Barcelona City Council initially approved these proposals, which initiates the debate, with the aim of being definitively approved next summer and being effective from Autumn 2018.
ALCOHOL
Drinking alcohol in public will only be fined if it's a nuisance - based on what's established by the Citizen Security State Law - especially at night, when it's harder for residents to rest, in which case, they propose to increase sanctions.
This includes for the first time 'Pub Crawls' - aimed for tourists, which include free shots and nightclub entrance - banning them throughout Barcelona, while they are only currently banned in Ciutat Vella.
They foresee a new chapter on noise reduction in public spaces, which also plans to sanction noise from inside homes if it bothers the neighbors - until now it was only included in the Environment Ordinance - and the entrances and exits to nightlife venues if there is noise on the street.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION
Defends to include, in the event doesn't constitute a crime, discrimination of any kind - including "aporofobia" against poor people, and sexual harassment, such as groups harassing and some forms of touching, which will be sanctioned.
Advocates aim to stop banning ballgames - with about 40 fines a year, and 26 last year - to fining activities which endanger the integrity of others, such as ballgames but also other games only if they are dangerous to the public.
PROSTITUTION
Council proposes to stop fining the offer of sexual services on the street, and doesn't fine clients as this is already contemplated in the Citizen Security Law, however they will begin to punish those who have sex in public (whether they are paid for it or not).
NO MORE SEX ON THE BEACH!!
Current regulations only sanction if it's paid for, something the Council plans to extend to all cases when sexual relations are maintained in plain view, in public spaces or near schools.
BEGGING
This proposal eliminates the concept of begging and goes on to prohibit the coercion or harassment which prevents human traffic - such as cleaning car windows without consent or insistently asking for money - and continues to prohibit sleeping overnight in public, but not when there is no alternative housing.
The use of fountains for washing is no longer prohibited in the proposal, but may be sanctioned by the Environment Ordinance in the case of using chemical products which may affect the water or the environment.
Despite sleeping in public and camping are prohibited, it won't be fined if done due to freedom of expression, such as a protest.
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