The gesture of the Vox councilor

The Comuns want to report the Vox councilor in Sabadell, César Gil, "for having made the gesture of a shot to the back of the neck at an advisor of the purple party during the municipal plenary session." Deputy Joan Mena explained on X that he made the gesture (with the index and ring finger together, the thumb straight, and the other two hidden) "when an advisor from Comuns and another from Vox were arguing about the Ceuta crisis." Vox said in a statement that the councilor "responded to the threats" of a Comuns advisor, before which the councilor "pointed to his own nape with his fingers" to ask himself if they would opt to "shoot in the nape like the ETA members."

The people from Vox are right when they say that the councilor points to his own nape with the hand gesture we mentioned. Therefore, it must be true that the councilor accuses them of being murderers, of being ETA members. And that is inadmissible. Words cannot be so cheap and this gesture, terrible due to its banality, in the context of a debate between politicians paid by the citizens, is inappropriate. The Comuns are wrong to accuse him of having threatened the councilor. The crude deputy does not make—as is understood from the complaint—a threat in the ETA style. He does not paint a target on her front door, if the symbolism of the gesture is understood. He is not saying—even as a joke—"we will kill you." What he is saying is much worse. He is telling her that she is one of those who paint the target, he is telling her that she would be in favor of a shot to the back of the neck, for example at him, and that is why he makes the tavern-like gesture with his hand.

The Comuns should accuse him of slander, of an attack on honor, nothing more and nothing less. But they should not accuse him of threats. One must be careful with words, especially those who use them as they please. And there go those who vote for people who do not have the minimum decorum required of orderly people, who explode, who make a fuss at the slightest provocation, who cannot contain themselves, who show off, pleased and satisfied.