This is what I always tell Americans. You guys think you are being abused by your government (you are), but way too often you lose sight of the immensely different relation you have in terms of rights vs the State compared to other Western countries (not to mention non-Western ones).

In this case indeed this man was treated unjustly - there is little you can do about that, if a cop wants to fuck with you. But the most important part and the fact is that later on the courts upheld the law and his rights.

In Spain, not only the cops are free to stop you, frisk you, confiscate anything you carry, demand that you give them your ID, take you away just because, and abuse you physically and otherwise - they won't suffer any sort of consequence because even in the rare occasion in which the law is not on their side to begin with, the prosecutors and judges systematically are.

If a cop, any cop, for whatever reason, stops you in Spain, you better just shut the fuck up. The level of freedom with which Americans talk down and even insult cops carries legal penalties here - plus the beating they'll give you for talking back.