Spanish city bans burqa and niqab in public places

The municipal council of the Spanish city of Lleida approved a ban on full-face coverings in public places, a measure that includes the burqa and niqab without explicitly naming them. The council voted 16 to 11 in favor of the amendment, which imposes fines on violators. The decision came through an unusual alliance between the Catalan Socialist Party, the far-right Vox party, and the separatist Junts party.

The municipal council of Lleida, the capital of a province in the Catalonia region of eastern Spain, approved a ban on full-face coverings in most public places. The measure includes the burqa and niqab without explicitly naming them, and stipulates a ban on "being present or moving in public places with objects or elements that cover the face completely," with exceptions related to the exercise of fundamental rights, places of worship, and certain socially accepted cases. Violators face financial fines. The council voted on Friday with a majority of 16 votes to 11 in favor of the amendment, which came through an unusual alliance between the Catalan Socialist Party, the far-right Vox party, and the Catalan separatist Junts party. Socialist Mayor Félix Larrosa said during the session: "Living together means respecting each other, and that also means following the rules." Spain does not have similar national legislation like France, Portugal, and Belgium. Lleida previously banned the niqab in some places in 2010, before the Spanish Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2013 following an appeal by an Islamic association, ruling that the ban violated religious freedom and exceeded local authority powers.