Woman is arrested for SUNBATHING in Spain after ignoring emergency coronavirus rules to top up her tan
- Footage shows police leading the woman away from a lawn in Palma, Mallorca
- She was put in a van after remonstrating with officers and could now face a fine
- Spain’s government has shut down outdoor spaces and parks as well as beaches
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A woman was arrested in Spain yesterday for flouting the country’s new quarantine rules by sunbathing near the seafront.
Footage shows her being led away from a lawn in Palma, the capital of Mallorca – which is under the same coronavirus rules as the mainland.
After remonstrating with officers she was eventually taken away in a van while still carrying her towel.
Spain’s government has shut down all outdoor spaces and parks as well as the country’s popular beaches in order to contain an outbreak which has already killed 292 people.
This footage shows a sunbather being led away from a lawn in Palma after she was caught breaching Spain’s new quarantine rules
Two officers escort the woman – still carrying her towel – off the grass near the seafront in Mallorca, which is under the same quarantine rules as mainland Spain
The woman in Palma could now face a fine for civil disobedience and not complying with the state of emergency.
Police said she and her friends were sunbathing on lawns near the seafront, lying on towels and having a drink.
Officers escorted her into a van after they were tipped off by locals, who are only supposed to be on the streets with a valid reason.
‘The officers spoke to those present and communicated verbally and informatively that they should leave the area and remain at home,’ according to island newspaper Ultima Hora.
‘A woman, far from complying with the instructions of the authorities, confronted them and told them that she wanted to get a tan.
‘After several verbal attacks on the police officers and because of her attitude, she was asked to identify herself but refused.’
Residents are allowed to leave their homes to go to work, visit a supermarket, pharmacy or bank or look after an elderly person.
The sunbather in Palma – pictured walking off the lawn towards a police van – could now face a fine for refusing to comply with the state of emergency
The woman remonstrated with Spanish police officers before eventually getting in the van
People who refuse to comply may incur a penalty for disobedience or resistance to authority.
Fines can be up to 30,000 euros (£27,200) and a public address system is reinforcing the message in Spanish, Catalan, English and German.
In some parts of Spain, the message is being broadcast by drones.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez’s government officially declared the 15-day state of emergency on Saturday.
It is only the second such declaration since the country returned to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
The other time was during a 2010 air traffic controllers’ strike.
Sanchez warned on Friday that the number of infections could reach 10,000 in the coming days in Spain.
It currently stands at 8,744, with 297 deaths.