The platform Defender a quien Defiende, of which ECOAR))) is a member, has just released its 2025 annual report on the right to protest. This year, the data reflect the ongoing selective repression and the expansion of new forms of control and surveillance. Although the report does not capture all violations—since there is no global official record—the platform’s monitoring allows hundreds of cases affecting dozens of social movements in Spain and Europe to be made visible.

Key findings of the report include:

• Solidarity movements with Palestine: For the second consecutive year, this movement is the most targeted. Numerous arrests, identifications, judicial proceedings, and cases of censorship have been documented, representing the majority of violations related to freedom of expression and assembly.
• Technological and police repression: There is growing use of surveillance cameras, facial recognition, drones, police infiltrations, and riot control equipment. These tools directly impact the right to peacefully protest.
• Territorial distribution of repression: Madrid and Catalonia continue to concentrate most cases, but other regions such as the Valencian Community, Basque Country, Andalusia, Navarra, Galicia, Balearic Islands, and Canary Islands show a significant increase in violations, evidencing the geographical spread of repression.
• Types of violations: The most frequent are identifications, economic sanctions, and judicial proceedings, followed by arrests, detentions, threats, censorship, and violations of police protocols.
• Other affected movements: Repression also affects the housing rights movement, trade unionism, anti-racism, environmental activism, and specific local protests, showing the diversification of repression across different sectors of civil society.

The report highlights that violations are not limited to Spain but are also replicated in other European countries, showing similar patterns of selective control and criminalization of peaceful protest.

In light of the report’s conclusions, we emphasize the need to:

1. Review and reform laws that restrict fundamental rights, including the Gag Law, to ensure that the right to protest can be exercised without fear of sanctions or excessive surveillance.
2. Protect those defending the right to protest, including activists, journalists, and human rights observers.
3. Strengthen coordination among civil organizations, like ECOAR))), to highlight violations, share resources, and promote effective policy changes.
4. Raise public awareness about the importance of the right to protest as a tool for democratic participation and citizen oversight.

The full report can be read here: Full PDF report