Linguistic discrimination in Majorca (10 APR 2020)

A new example of linguistic discrimination. Most people in the Balearic Islands would still not dare present a text in Catalan to the Spanish police (over 35 years after the language recovered its official status), and would certainly acquiesce to translating it if requyired.Original: https://www.dbalears.cat/balears/2020/04/11/338083/guardia-civil-diu-president-ocb-usted-cree-tengo-obligacion-cogerle-este-documento-catalan.html

On Friday, April 10, the President of "Obra Cultural Balear", Josep de Luis, has reported a new case of linguistic discrimination at the Civil Guard garrison in K+Inca.

Josep de Luis explained that, following the instructions received by telephone, he had gone to submit a written complaint to the Inca Civil Guard garrison. "On presenting the documents, written in the language of the Balearic Islands, the Catalan language, the civil guard on duty (No. C46696R) told him to take them back translated into Spanish." When the President of the OCB told him that he was under no obligation to do so, and that the Catalan language is official in the Balearic Islands, the agent replied that if he presented it in Catalan it would be have to be sent to Palma, and nothing could be done until the translated document returned from headquarters.

Josep de Luis has explained that he replied that that was not a problem, and requested a rubber-stamped copy to prove that the document had been presented that day. In view of this, the agent changed tactics, and asked the OCB President if he thought that given the state of alarm, a translator would come from Palma to Inca. De Luis then replied that he did not need anyone to come, that he would be content with a rubber stamp and date on the complaint, and the civil guard asked him: "Do you believe I am under an obligation to accept this document in Catalan?". De Luis replied that it was not a matter of 'believing it',  for 'I am certain you are obliged to do so' and added: 'If you dont' mind, I'll take a note of your identification number, I'll leave and we will clarify this later". At that moment the civil guard summoned the sergeant of the garrison, who apologized for what had happened, and accepted the document in the Balearic Islands' own, official language forthwith.

In regard to this, the OCB says that "we value the gesture of the sergeant, who did comply with the law and accepted the document in Catalan".

At the same time, the OCB encourages all citizens to "maintain a firm attitude when faced with these kinds of attacks or acts of discrimination, as discriminatory acts are irregular actions and depart from the political leaders' public guidelines".