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In 1986, two women in Madrid were taken away by police because of a kiss.

They were held at the police station for two days, charged with 'public scandal' under criminal law.

This charge originated from the Franco dictatorship era.

In that era, couples kissing on the street could be fined.

Public displays of affection have always been policed.

After Franco's death, a cultural wave called 'La Movida Madrileña' emerged in Madrid.

Young people talked about freedom and self-expression, and intimate scenes on the streets increased.

However, the law did not change accordingly.

LGBT groups protested about this for many years.

In 1987, activists organized a mass kiss at Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

This was a response to that arrest.

The protest method was simple: everyone agreed to kiss at the same time.

For many years afterward, Madrid's pride parades ended with a kiss.

When the procession reached Puerta del Sol, everyone would kiss.

In 1988, the 'public scandal' charge was abolished.

From then until now, kissing on the street in Spain has become a very ordinary thing.

One reason is actually at home: Spaniards live in cramped conditions.

Today about 65 percent of Spaniards live in apartments.

This is the highest proportion in the EU.

Housing prices are also expensive, making it hard for young people to move out of their parents' homes.

Amparo Lasén, a sociology professor at Complutense University of Madrid, says homes lack private space.

She says couples can only go outside to find a bench.

She also says that if no one gives you a dirty look, or you simply don't care, public expression becomes much easier.

Isabel Nieto Tous is twenty-eight years old.

She returned from abroad a few years ago and moved back in with her parents.

She says that in Spain, kissing is generally accepted.

However, Lasén also reminds us that not everyone is equally comfortable displaying affection.

Same-sex couples often receive more stares on the street than heterosexual couples.

In Valencia, Paula Furió, a former wedding photographer, has a saying.

She says kissing is just the tip of the iceberg.

In today's Spain, kissing is seen everywhere on streets, in parks, and in plazas.

Something that once meant two days in jail—now no one gives it a second glance.