<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Revision:%20Clippings/Gag Law (Puerto Rico) - Wikipedia%20-%2020260302210418" style="border:1px solid #555; padding:4px 12px; border-radius:4px; color:#a89ee8; text-decoration:none; font-size:0.9em; background-color:#2a2a2a;">📩 Submit a Revision/Addition</a> **Law 53 of 1948** better known as the **Gag Law**,^{<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a>} ([Spanish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language "Spanish language"): ***Ley de La Mordaza***) was an act enacted by the [Puerto Rico legislature](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assembly_of_Puerto_Rico "Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico") ^{<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/#cite_note-2"><span>[</span>a<span>]</span></a>} of 1948, with the purpose of suppressing the [independence movement in Puerto Rico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_movement_in_Puerto_Rico "Independence movement in Puerto Rico"). The act made it a crime to own or display a [Puerto Rican flag](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flags_of_Puerto_Rico "Flags of Puerto Rico"), to sing a patriotic tune, to speak or write of independence, or to meet with anyone or hold any assembly in favor of Puerto Rican independence.^{<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/#cite_note-martinez-3"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a>} It was passed by a legislature that was overwhelmingly dominated by members of the [Popular Democratic Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_Democratic_Party_of_Puerto_Rico "Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico") (PPD), which supported developing an alternative political status for thbe island. The bill was signed into law on June 10, 1948, by [Jesús T. Piñero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_T._Pi%C3%B1ero "Jesús T. Piñero"), the United States-appointed governor.^{<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/#cite_note-4"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a>} Opponents tried but failed to have the law declared unconstitutional by the [United States Supreme Court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Supreme_Court "United States Supreme Court"). The law remained in force for nine years until 1957, when it was repealed on the basis that it was unconstitutional as protected by [freedom of speech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_in_the_United_States "Freedom of speech in the United States") within [Article II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Puerto_Rico#Article_Two:_Bill_of_Rights "Constitution of Puerto Rico") of the [Constitution of Puerto Rico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Puerto_Rico "Constitution of Puerto Rico") and the [First Amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution "First Amendment to the United States Constitution") of the [Constitution of the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States "Constitution of the United States").