Cops in Spanish Town Ridiculed Over Photo Pick

Police in the small town of Santa Fe in Spain are trying to reel in the backlash over their latest effort to keep the streets peaceful. As the Guardian reports, the department posted an image of six older women chatting outside, engaging in an age-old tradition known as tomando el fresco, or "taking in the fresh air."

• Police request: "We know that putting chairs or tables outside the door is a tradition in many towns, but the public road is regulated," the caption reads. "If police ask you to remove them, do so out of respect and in the interests of coexistence. With civility and common sense, there's no harm done. Thank you for your cooperation!"

• Ridicule: The story became a national one as a social media backlash ensued. "You're sons of b-----s," one user wrote, voicing a typical sentiment, per Metro UK. Another snarked: "If you need backup for such a dangerous mission, I'll be there. We need to put an end to this serious issue—no more impunity for grannies who sit out to enjoy the fresh air."
• Rationale: The mayor told a radio station that the intent is to crack down on events such as illegal street barbecues or, say, rowdy musicians keeping neighbors up at night. "No one is going to stop our older people popping out of their houses and sitting down and enjoying the cool air," he clarified, without explaining the odd choice of photo.
• Context: At the Guardian, Sam Jones puts it all in context: "Somewhere towards the very top of the long list of unspoken Spanish rules—gin and tonic should not be drunk before a meal, chorizo has no place in the vicinity of a paella, and children's bedtimes cease to apply in the summer—is the silent injunction that forbids any attempts to alter the habits of the country's cherished older people."

(More Spain stories.)