Footage published Sunday by BBC News shows eerily deserted Madrid streets policed by drones. (Video embedded below.)The drones are controlled by human officers who relay warnings through them via radio. In the footage, one officer can be seen relaying a warning that people should vacate public parks and return home.

The move got mixed reviews from the public, with some Twitter users saying that the use of drones was “disturbing” or reminiscent of George Orwell’s science fiction book 1984: others applauded the government’s efforts to inform communities in a safe way.

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