Escrache

Escrache is a form of demonstrations against persons who are held responsible for abuses or crimes, mostly for the violation of human rights or political corruption.

Public, and especially the living environment are pointed out by chants, banners, posters, music, graffiti and theater performances, that the people live, shop or work at the demonstration sites.

The first Escraches in the late 1990s directed against alleged leaders of the military dictatorships in South America, after trying to remain inconspicuous. In 2013 they were first held in Spain in the context of a popular petition the Plataforma de afectados por la Hipoteca.

Etymology

The word escrache has over South America, particularly Argentina, again beyond found their way into Spanish as well as in other languages ​​, for example into Portuguese. 1879 documented Benigno B. Lugones the word escracho in Lunfardo of the Río de la Plata. Escracho referred to in the Gaunersprache a fraud. The scammer tries a manipulated lot for sale, which is run on a list of the winning lots, where the selling price is lower than the supposedly redeemable bonus.

The etymological origin of the word usage in South America is uncertain. The linguist Marcos Morínigo suspected the origin of the English verb to scratch scratch in the importance scratch. Another derivation refers to the Genoese word scraccé in terms of image, in anlehnender use: a portrait of the face. From this second used to increase the importance of the face and, more specifically, ugly or repulsive face and derives the verb escrachar portray because of the importance and recent use within the meaning of the strike face, hit in the face. In addition, is italiniesch scaracio called for spitting as another possible derivation.

For the Provencal language escrachar is going back to escratchá including by Simon- Jew Honnorat burst, break and spit with the meaning detected.

Historically, the use of the word is escrache use, such as in the context of a tenant uprising for social policy charges and exposure of individuals at the beginning of the 20th century.

Since 1995, this meaning is revived by escrache by the human rights organization HIJOS to describe their demonstrations directed against Carlos Menem ( president of Argentina 1989-99 ) favored one - either been convicted or standing under suspicion during the Argentine military dictatorship crimes against humanity to have committed.

Legitimacy

The Escraches as a demonstration form are controversial. Opponents see them outside of the legal framework, as the right to protest does not cover this form. Demonstrations would have to be registered and approved by the authorities. In addition, the Escraches as " unrestrained harassment " means that violate norms of peaceful coexistence. If it were "moral violence against individuals and institutions," as much as totalitarian, fascist, Nazi methods.

Proponents defend the Escraches as social participation, but also as justified civil disobedience, when fundamental rights are at risk, especially when, for ethical reasons, their defense is justified, State, Justice and laws do not guarantee this. In addition, these actions were legitimate because they nonviolent, publicly announced and take place and also bring about no change of the democratic order want, but focus on their improvement.

In Spain, three major stages lawyers' associations, the Escraches not an offense, unless it comes to assault and coercion. A fourth, however, has doubts about the legality, because it constitutes a intimidation elected parliamentarians. Gonzalo Moliner, chairman of the Supreme Court of the Spanish Tribunal Supremo, sees the Escraches as an expression of free speech, as long as they are not violent.