Palma's local police have denounced an association called Valores en Baleares (Values in the Balearics) to the prosecution service which deals with hate crimes and with minors. The police also claim a possible violation of the rights of the LGTBI community.
The association has made public statements on Facebook which, as far as the police are concerned, imply that transsexuals are dangerous to children. The police's hate crimes unit has filed a report that notes potential discrimination against the broad gay community. This discrimination has been in such a way as to develop "a discourse which could turn society against the gay community and create negative opinions based on sexual orientation".
The town hall says that the president of the association, Juan José Tenorio, could face four years in prison for violating public freedoms and the fundamental rights of the LGTBI community.
The move by the police was taken yesterday ahead of a planned conference in Palma attended by the president of HazteOir, Ignacio Arsuaga, along with the Valores en Baleares association.
Members of Més and Podemos and of the gay association Ben Amics protested against the visit of Arsuaga and his presence in the Balearic parliament, where he registered a motion for parliament to protect children "from sexual indoctrination". The regional government has itself denounced "a representative of HazteOir" to the prosecution service for a possible hate crime.
President Armengol yesterday told "the gentlemen of HazteOir" that they were not welcome in the Balearics. She condemned the right-wing, ultra-Catholic organisation for its intolerance, discrimination and fomenting of hate. Arsuaga took issue with this lack of welcome when speaking to the media outside parliament. He accused the president and Palma town hall of being responsible for anything "that could happen" and of "inciting hatred towards us". He said that "death threats" had been made against him in Palma and added that he has asked the police to investigate these.
The motion presented to parliament, he explained, defends the rights of parents against education which imposes "gender ideology", saying that eleven regions, one of them the Balearics, have such an ideology. Juan José Tenorio, who accompanied him, said that various businesspeople had been pressurised into not allowing HazteOir to hire a room for the conference. The original venue was cancelled and, in the end, the conference was held in the street.
Palma's mayor, José Hila, said that "Palma is a tolerant and modern city which works for equality". As a consequence, HazteOir and its message of hate was not welcome. The transsexual flag was hung from the town hall balcony and EMT buses had signs stating "stop transphobia".
The conference, such as it was, involved Arsuaga spending some fifteen minutes speaking through a megaphone to some fifteen supporters. An equal number of protesters on the other side of the road shouted insults. Police needed to intervene but there was no serious trouble.