Karl Smallman
SHOCKING footage has been posted on YouTube of a satirical play in which giggling Spanish students wearing military fatigues and carrying plastic guns shoot dead Union Jack-wearing ‘Brits’.
The video was posted online by Julián Trullenque Anés, who has worked at the Brianda de Luna school in the small town of Alfajarín, near Zaragoza. However, the original video has now been removed from YouTube.
It showed a group of sock and sandal-wearing ‘Brits’ setting up their deck chairs to a soundtrack of the National Anthem. But then a Spanish ‘tank’ arrives accompanied by students in camouflage and brandishing plastic guns who proceed to gun down the ‘Brits’ who fall to the ground as the music switches to The Clash’s ‘Spanish Bombs’. The audience of students and adults watching appear to find it all hilarious.
The latest incident comes after weeks of mounting tensions between Gibraltar and Spain following the installation of a series of concrete blocks aimed to conserve fish stocks, but prompted accusations from Spain that it would stop fishermen being able to earn a living.
In an unprecedented move, special teams of Spanish customs officials were then deployed on the border, stopping and searching all traffic and pedestrians leaving Gibraltar for contraband which caused huge delays of up to seven hours in sweltering summer temperatures.
And recently mayor of Callosa de Segura, Francisco Perez Trigueros, sparked outrage after posting a mocked up picture of a Spanish invasion of Gibraltar on Facebook.
Despicable. To think that this was a school play makes it even worse. Note that the “Brits” are unarmed!! Note also the obvious enjoyment of parents, pupils and presumably the teachers who have allowed this to have taken place. This is evidence of the point which I have made in some of my other comments.
The hate campaign being carried out by Spain’s government and press against Gibraltar can be compared to Hitler’s campaign against the Jews.
Some people are being brought up on a diet of propaganda and lies so that politicians can bury dire economic news and the whiff of political scandal. Spain has no claim over Gibraltar. The Gibraltarians DO have the right to self-determination. It is as Ban Ki-Moon says, ‘The world’s 16 remaining territories that still do not govern themselves MUST have complete freedom in deciding their future status,’ the Secretary-General told a forum on decolonization (2010).
Pity the teachers cant put the same effort into giving
Spanish kids a decent education in morals and working hard because most of them these days are wasters and totally unemployable.
Shameful …. And to use Spanish bombs a anti Franco facist song must have Joe Strummer turning in his grave … now that’s bad education.
What a disgraceful thing for the school to allow to be portrayed. In the light of the recent shootings in Nairobi and other atrocities around the world the glorification of violence to regain a piece of rock is beyond belief!
What will Spain do when the Morroccans want to regain the the territories that they are occupying?
I hope the recent EU delegation makes a fair report on the situation and that things can move on diplomatically before some idiot thinks that they should put into practice what the students have enacted.
Shame on the school and shame on the audience. I love Spain and have many friends there and the ones I’ve spoken to in recent weeks couldn’t care less about Gibraltar so all this posturing by the Spanish government is just hot air.
Do you know why catalans don´t wont to be spanish? Shame on the school and shame on the parents. Amb it´s a shame for me to have a passaport where says that i´m spanish. Gibraltar British and Fredoom for Catalona!
I wouldn’t worry about this lot, they will end up as waiters and waitresses serving foreigners in low end tacky holiday resorts.
This is completely shocking, why are they teaching their children this? What’s funny about killing unarmed people? This has completely changed my view of Spain and the Spanish people. I hope their government at least has the decency to take action against the people responsible for this hatred. They must realise this in uncivilised behavior and absolutely unacceptable. Shame on Spain.
We could see this as the height of bad taste where imbeciles act out their fantasies.
It can also be seen as hatred permeating down to the ordinary citizen because of the incessant Spanish propaganda against the only successful economy in the Iberian Peninsular.
The latter is far more worrying as this is the perception Spaniards, especially those living away from the Rock’s hinterland, get of the ordinary British Gibraltarian.
I cannot understand how a supposedly modern European democracy like Spain can carry out such a vitriolic campaign against a population of 30,000 European citizens!
Unbelievable. Perhaps people take that as acceptable because the standard of education is so poor. Poor Spain, trapped between a Rock and a hard place.
I think the school drama class would be better enacting the lining up of their own Countrymen against the Prado museum and killing them like SS anti patriot divisions did in France. The Brits are civilised people, the Spanish should be glad we are their. Not only that, many Brits have made Spain their home. This sort of enactment is going to stir up resentment, they have invested all their time and money to live their. I suppose with all the eastern European imigration we are getting here in the UK anything could boil over when times get hard. Trouble is, only the good gets trampled on. At least the Brits have brought wealth with them, are imigrants have brought an empty pocket.
Disgusting! So wrong for a school to teach violence. Yes, Spain in might have an issue with Gibraltar and there are legal ways to deal with that, but lets not forget that Spain also holds Ceuta and Melilla. The same yard stick should be used in all cases. As a Spaniard I am disgusted with this.
¡Fatal! Un grave error que un colegio enseñey promueva violencia. Si España puede tener un problema con Gibraltar pero hay vías legales para tratar ese asunto. No nos olvidemos que España también tiene Ceuta Y Melilla. El mismo principio se debe aplicar en todos los casos. Como Español me indigna esta colegio y su actitud.
Below is the link to the Ayuntamiento for Alfajarín and a complaint email I have sent and encourage others to do so.
“http://ayuntamientoalfajarin.org/contacto/”
Dear Sir / Madam,
Please place this on the list of complaints I am sure you will receive regarding the racial hatred that has been so publicly announced from the school of Brianda de Luna and inflicted on the young who took part and who are in the audience.
The massacre of unarmed civilians is not satire it is terrorism and distasteful beyond belief. Views on the Gibraltar issue can be articulated in a much less barbaric and racist manner.
Kind regards,
Neil Wilson
A British national who simple loves Spain.
@Neil Wilson. I hope your original was in Spanish. This is Spain after all.
How much longer are the Spanish going to disgrace themselves, they are showing themselves to be uneducated stupid idiots and I know that they are not really like that.
Thanks Neil, I’ve sent off a similar message. I just wonder how the Spanish would react if a school in Morocco performed a similar play about the Spanish territories of Cueta and Melilla? I suspect they would not be happy and would start a diplomatic incident!
Keith – it was with a little help from Google Translate!….
Estimado Señor / Señora,
Por favor, ponga esto en la lista de quejas que estoy seguro de que recibirá sobre el odio racial que ha sido tan anunciado públicamente de la escuela de Brianda de Luna y infligidos a los jóvenes que participaron y los que están en la audiencia.
La masacre de civiles desarmados no es la sátira es el terrorismo y de mal gusto increíble. Las opiniones sobre la cuestión de Gibraltar se pueden articular de una manera mucho menos brutal y racista.
Saludos cordiales,
Neil Wilson
Un ciudadano británico que sencilla ama España.
I think that it can be delictive.
Anselmo,
Remember when I wrote about Spain’s hate propaganda against the Gibraltarians? Here’s proof that it is being assimilated by the ordinary Spaniard. That’s how it starts.
The harmony that existed over the years has been destroyed since Mr Margallo said “Gibraltar Espanol” just after being elected and long before the creation of an artificial reef!
This is an orchestrated but badly thought out campaign by the current PP government.
El fifi
I agree with you that there is a problem, I do not think that it is due to a propaganda campaign. I think it is due to mass psychology factors.
The “joke video” is posible that can be contemplate by the Spanish Penal Code.
P.D:
the stupidity of these guys completely amazes me.
Do they have no brains?
Napoleon said that the only thing that scared him was the stupidity ……. This man was a genius
Anselmo,
I have been brought up in a very tolerant society whatever others think of Gibraltar. Very few places in the world can you find a synagogue, a mosque, an Anglican and Catholic cathedral all within 500 metres each co-existing harmoniously.
I have been raised to respect and listen to other points of views. That’s the beauty of a mature democracy.
You seem to be a very reasonable man and with people like you one can have a mature discussion even if we are not always in agreement.
The pity is there are too many who are so biased that a reasonable discussion becomes an impossibility.
If you read some of the readers’ comments whenever an article about Gibraltar appears in Spanish newspapers it would send a chill down your spine.
Take a step back for a while and stop having knee-jerk reactions. This was a play. What was the context of it? For all we know, the teacher (or pupils) decided to push the boundaries of what is considered decent…and that is what art does all the time, either in the mainsteam or not. And keep in mind the students are giggling – they know that they are pushing boundaries and loving every moment of it. They are pushing your buttons and finding a voice at the same time. Perhaps some of these young adults are the Taranatino’s of the future? So stop being morally outraged and see it for what it is. After all, Tarrantino isn’t likely to pick up a gun and start shooting people despite what his movies portray.
Personally, I think we are over-reacting a little but I also think it’s a pity the video was taken off YouTube as this school, the pupils, and especially the teachers would have been internationally ridiculed. Utterly pathetic, frankly, and what an embarassing indictment on the state of education in Spain.
As for using The Clash’s ‘Spanish Bombs’, someone should explain to them that it was a political/protest song about Spaniards killing other [mostly innocent] Spaniards during the civil war.
FYI, I too speak as a lover of Spain.
@CJ
I have never heard such naive rubbish in all my life. You believe that any act or portrayal is fine as long as you tag it with the word art. These are schoolchildren, for teachers to advance their political agenda via minors is morally reprehensible. If I had a child in school who was being brain washed by a supposedly adult trained teacher I would have them out a job tomorrow. That applies whether it is a dispute over territory, sexual orientation, political persuasion, religion or whatever. I wonder very much if you have or have ever had children. I would write more but I’m busy spiting feathers.
I don’t know how many British schools would allow a play that mocks the killing of innocent civilians. I don’t think it really should be encouraged.
Your view seems to be a minority one as the author of the video clip has had so many negative hits that he has removed it and apologised “to the people of Britain” and wishes the clip had never existed.
But I suppose, in a democracy, we are all entitled to our opinion CJ.
CJ
And now it seems the mayor of the town has also apologised. Quite frankly, I don’t think it was meant to be a work of art which ” pushes the boundaries”. It was a video of extreme bad taste that has brought the wrong type of attention to this particular town.
I lived in Spain for 12 years and very much enjoyed it. Thankfully I left before the goggle eyed idiot Rajoy started spreading his poison. He should be ashamed of himself and the Spanish should be ashamed of him and themselves. This sort of thing isn’t a joke and its not at all funny. Remember Spaniards, you are now in the EU which was formed to prevent these sort of things from happening. So for God’s sake grow up. Oh, and by the way, if you join with the argies against the UK, good luck to you. You’ll need it.
Disgusting can be compared to Hitler and his vendetta on the Jewish people
do Britain want an EU country like this at their side i would be worried.
I have lived most of my life in Gibraltar and know that we employ thousands of Spanish workers all are treated well, yet we are harassed none stop at the border
At sea the spanish police harass our police,
we lived with a closed border before maybe spain should just close the gate between the two countries we woulkd be much happier
dopey is as dopey does.
from my experience of the spanish they would proberly run away.
Thanks Carla… I’d “proberly” run away if I saw you, you’re right. You wonder why the Spanish think the Brits who come there are jerks, and why we’d film a joke video like this, it’s stuff like Carla’s comment…
Most of them are horribly racist and forget we can speak English too- the arrogance and treating the Spanish as if they are half a person. This is why the Brits are (and should and should continue to be) treated poorly in Gibraltar by the Spanish. The video is stupid and the teachers should lose their jobs, but it takes two to tango and the UK needs to drop its empirical macho posturing and its citizens need to humble themselves and accept that they are racist, sexist, classicist, and live in the most expensive/least desirable place to live on the Earth, and that they, in the truest definition of the word, suck.
El Fifi:
I am delighted because you have so good concept from me. For my part, I must tell you that I consider You a person open minded.
Don´t be scared by the comments of readers in the spanish newspapers, they are excessively spontaneous, but if you try to respond with reasoned arguments, and some patience, the authors thereof, You will see that is posible to reason with the people who make those comments, sometimes so tremendous.
In the United Kingdom, individual rights are respected much earlier which nowhere else in the world.
Anyway, that feeling of revulsion to Gibraltar by part of many spaniards. Do you think that it is fully unjustified?.
we´ll review the History:
1) when there was the occupation of Gibraltar, the Gibraltarians were expelled at bayonet point by British troops. And replaced by settlers brought from non-Spanish countries.
2) in the 1960s, the United Nations, determinated that UK should decolonize Gibraltar and return him to Spain, to not attempt against his territorial integrity.
3) in the 1980s the Socialist Government of Felipe Gonzalez decided to open the fence.
4Th) Today, the troubles provocated by Gibraltar to Spain, since the opening of the gate, have been rising.
Oh yeah! It´s terrible when the teachers learn young people to think by themshelves..
And really are the some people to fight than franco’s age,sorry theirs sons.
Anselmo – Gibraltarians are not scared of comments made in the social media. What worries us tremendously is the fact that it is impossible to counteract these people because your comments are not published by the moderator of the page. This is mass brainwashing with nothing being allowed that would make any reasonable person think twice about believing all these atrocious lies. Speak about Goebbels and his propaganda and its the same said thing. Only because it is coming from the normally friendly fun loving, happy go lucky Spaniard, which could well be your neighbour next door it makes it even more horrendous.
I will give you one example. Today there was a huge queue which started at four o clock of people trying to get home from work in Gibraltar , as usual, kids coming home from school that live in the surrounding area and have their parents either collecting them or waiting for them on the other side, office workers, home helpers, tourists etc. It was published in a Spanish digital news site, and immediately taken up in a certain “poison pen” facebook page and there were hundreds of comments from people, with their names surnames, saying they were all smugglers! Try and get in and tell them they are mistaken, see how you go. Tell them Gib provides work for nearly 10,000 of their countrymen. People coming in this morning were confronted with jack booted special police and held there waiting to cross to their workplace. They are not criminals, or money launderers or drug dealers! They are ordinary folk. Try telling that to the brainwashed!
You, with all your sugar coating, seem entrenched in what you may have read in this social media and you are wrong in every single point you put down.
Revulsion to Gibraltar you say, revulsion to what? to repeated lies, to manipulated self serving history books which have not been revised since the Franco era?
“1) when there was the occupation of Gibraltar, the Gibraltarians were expelled at bayonet point by British troops. And replaced by settlers brought from non-Spanish countries.”
The people who lived in Gibraltar at the time were not expelled at bayonet point! They were given a choice, to leave with all their belongings, which most did, or stay and swear allegiance to the King of England. Some did that too, and some of those that left with their possessions, their money, their saints, their carts and their animals, and their flag and settled in the surround area and founded San Roque, returned to Gibraltar and fought with the “invaders” against Spain. You can go visit their museum in San Roque , its all there. That there was fighting and some people were killed, yes, but not unlike any other battle. You will not find any ancestors in the San Roque village from that era either. They are long gone. Franco saw to that when he closed the border with Gibraltr in the 1960’s and left the majority of them out of work so they had to emigrate. Youwill probably find them in Barcelona, Leon, anywhere up north. So that puts paid to “logo” of San Roque being where the real Gibraltarians live. The real Gibraltarians have been living in Gibraltar for over three hundred years!
“2) in the 1960s, the United Nations, determinated that UK should decolonize Gibraltar and return him to Spain, to not attempt against his territorial integrity.”
This is also untrue. In the 1960’s the United Nations did not tell UK to return Gibraltar to Spain. That is a fallacy being repeated and repeated ad nauseum. The United Nations thought Gibraltarians wanted to be Spanish and nasty old England was keeping us entrapped in a 300 year old Treaty. Since they heard from Sir Joshua Hassan and Sir Peter Isola, both sides of the Gibraltar Parliament that this was not the case, they have limited themselves to point everyone towards talks to iron out differences. What territorial integrity are you talking about? Which part of the Iberian Peninsula belongs to Spain? There are three different countries in that Peninsular. Frontiers have been moved around for centuries, hence the Catalonia demand now for independence. Utrecht handed them to Spain. So if you are going by the territorial integrity of Spain, lets start by creating a frontier between Catalonia and the rest of Spain.
“3) in the 1980s the Socialist Government of Felipe Gonzalez decided to open the fence.”
No, you are wrong! In 1969 Franco closed the border with Gibraltar because he was having trouble and unrest, much as it is today and the War cry Gibraltar Espanol came in very handy. When Franco died, and the European Union was created, Uk and Gibraltar were already in there, and UK was vetoing Spain’s entry because of the closed border with Gibraltar. Felipe Gonzalez did not just decide out of the goodness of his heart to open the border, although I give him more credit and more statesmanship than I do Rajoy. He had no other option if he wanted to opt in to the European Market. Millionaire subsidies and all that went with it.
“4Th) Today, the troubles provocated by Gibraltar to Spain, since the opening of the gate, have been rising.”
Again you are badly mistaken. There was no trouble. The PP came into Government with a “Gibraltar Espanol” hurled at the British Minister at a European session. “Se acabo la Broma” no more talks!! That is what started the troubles as you call them. Not through any provocation by Gibraltar! Gibraltar has British territorial waters and it is entitled to lay as many reefs as it sees fit in them. Gibraltar allows fishing but not with nets which are outlawed by most of Europe and its own laws. If we don’t allow our fishermen to fish using rakes and trawling, why should we allow others to do so in our waters? Why if your country firmly believes that Gib has no waters doesn’t it take Gib and UK the International Courts of Justice in the Hague? Because it has been told by its own experts that it wouldn’t have a chance in hell!! That’s why.
And you are right in one thing the trouble has been rising and it has been rising at the same rate as we hear from Spain and the more independent Spanish newspapers of the rise in fascism, the rise in corruption, the rise in people being stripped of all their rights, the rise of people not being allowed to demonstrate for those rights, whole families having to live off their grandparents pensions.
Watch out for the ultras in Barcelona this coming 12th October with their leader saying they will have no qualms in using arms and spilling blood to defend Spain from traitors! What a wonderful prospect of a democratic future you have.
Why would anyone in their right minds want to be a part of that?
No thanks!
Anselmo
Something you may want to think about hard in your head. You say the Gibraltarians who lived in Gibraltar at the time of Utrecht where thrown out at bayonet point. Well, if you don’t believe what I am telling you now that many of them stayed and may came back, where do you think the Spanish surnames in Gibraltar come from? You think these were made up? They are the descendants of the many that stayed and swore allegiance to the King of England and the many more who found work and peace in a British Gibraltar. They are now British Gibraltarians together with all the other nationalities that came in to live in this our land. They emigrated to Gibraltar under the Union Jack. Proof that we find peace, work and real democracy in this holy land of ours and we do not want to change that for anything else.
The Editor Olive Press
You might want to check out these links as proof of what I am saying;
“http://www.elplural.com/2013/10/03/los-ultras-dispuestos-a-derramar-sangre-por-espana-aprovecharan-su-manifestacion-en-barcelona-para-acudir-a-la-beatificacion-de-522-martires-de-la-iglesia/”
“http://www.elplural.com/2013/10/02/si-es-precisa-la-lucha-armada-pues-entonces-la-lucha-armada/”
Anselmo
The style and content of a letter reflects the character and intelligence of the author. This is why I spend time answering you yet ignore others.
Reference your last.
1. One of the things one should do when studying history is to avoid judging past events using present day morality.
The taking of territory by force in the 18th century was the norm. Gibraltar in this case is an example of this. A fact.
2.Civilian settlers, not military, arrived voluntarily mainly because they saw an opportunity to prosper under what was then the most powerful empire in the world. My family, for example, arrived from a village near Genoa in the mid 18th century.
3. We now live in the 21st century. It is inconceivable that a territory can merely be transferred to another country without the wishes of the inhabitants being taken into account. After all, Gibraltarians have matured as a people under the British flag longer than the USA has been a country.
Just a few months ago the secretary general of the UN stated that self determination was a fundamental right of those territories still in need of decolonisation.
4. The opening of the frontier was, among other things, a great opportunity for the whole region to prosper in harmony and it did. This present Spanish government has destroyed that harmony, trust and prosperity built over many years in months.
If I had the audacity of being a Spanish politician, I would allow free access to people and businesses alike across that frontier. I would encourage cooperation at all possible levels, cultural, sociological, economical etc.
The Campo Area would flourish and maybe in fifty years time the notion of whether Gibraltar was Spanish or not might even become irrelevant. A thinking too advanced for the current PP government.
JACK not sure if your being nice or horrible !!!
you would be too entranced by my beauty to run away sunshine lol
Jack and you are the truest definition in the world of the word “ignorant.” You, the Spanish, have no say in how Brits are treated in Gibraltar. Gibraltar does not belong to you. Gibraltar belongs to us Brits, so we treat each other quite well, thank you very much, better than you treat your own in your own country. The Spanish in Gibraltar are treated as equals, unless of course they come to insult us in our own country, in which case they are politely told to “belt up” or escorted politely back to their own country. Your spelling might be correctable on this site with spelling checker but your composition, grammar and comprehension of the language leaves much to be desired. As to your chivalry, it is obviously non existent.
Jack said on :
October 3rd, 2013 11:11 pm
Thanks Carla… I’d “proberly” run away if I saw you, you’re right. You wonder why the Spanish think the Brits who **come???*** there????***** are jerks, and why we’d film a joke video like this, it’s ****stuff????***** like Carla’s comment…
Most of ****them????**** are horribly racist and forget we can speak English too- ****the arrogance and treating the Spanish as if they are half a person***** This is why the Brits are (and ***should and*** should continue to be) treated poorly in ****Gibraltar????***** by the Spanish. The video is stupid and the teachers should lose their jobs, but it takes two to tango***** and**** the UK needs to drop its empirical macho posturing **** and***** its citizens need to humble themselves and accept that they are racist, sexist, classicist,**** and**** live in the most expensive/least desirable place ***** to live on**** the Earth, and that ****they?????*****, in the truest definition of the word, suck.”
Carla, there is no doubt about it, “Jack” is being downright nasty. It is the typical response and a true reflection of those who have no arguments left, and the only recourse they seem to find is to insult and demean others.
Don’t lose any sleep about these types or their comments.
Ithername
I agree with you that the media which not publish the comments ,in case of these are timely, non- offensive and written in Spanish , are a totalitarian tools . I’m afraid you ‘re reading Spanish news papers of fascist orientation which very few people read . In Spain the ultras haven´t any political weight , only in a Catalan town there is a fascist mayor . No other mayor , alderman, congressman , senator throughout the rest of Spain is fascist. Unlike France (Le Pen) , Norway ,etc. ..
Public opinion of the people must be known through surveys and studing the mass manipulation policies of the more important news papers which are reading by most of the population. In the case of Spain are: El Mundo (right ), El país (social democrat and secessionist ) , ABC (social democrat and defender of the monarchy ) La Vanguardia (social democrat and secessionist ) . All they are pretty unprofessional, very manipulative and El Mundo lately , it has become very sensationalist because it is on the verge of bankruptcy. All of them has no future because the younger generations do not read and do not connect with their ideologies of the nineteenth century .
I think the current unpopularity of Gibraltarians in Spain ,that you are perceiving , is due to sociological causes and not the result of a propaganda campaign .
I am glad that the expulsion of the Gibraltarians will take place in a civilized manner . Another thing commented in Spain is that for to take Gibraltar the English troops kidnapped the civilian population of Gibraltar while they were praying in a church and used them as human shields for to take the walls of Gibraltar.
2 )
Gibraltar ‘s colonial situation destroys the national unity and territorial integrity of Spain and is incompatible with Resolution 1514 (XV ) , paragraph 6 , 1960 on decolonization in general. In the case of Gibraltar , the UN has not recognized the right to self determination de Gibraltar.
The Succession War was a civil war between two candidates for the throne of Spain , one English and one French , it was not a war for the independence of Catalonia . Catalonia has never been independent .
3) I Didn´t knew that Felipe Gonzalez give the order to open the fence for UK did not stop the entry of Spain into the European Community . Thanks for to say me it.
4 ) Gibraltar has no territorial waters recognized by Spain , therefore She can not throw concrete blocks them or fill them to increase their territory. The isthmus is unduly ocuppied, and the airport is built on Spanish territory and waters .
Harmful actions against Spain have been many, from before Margallo . As an example I quote the shipment of coins attributed to Infanta Mercedes galleon United States from Gibraltar , mocking the Spanish justice and becoming the Govern of Gibraltar in a complice in the destruction of the Spanish archaeological heritage .
Finally , I fully agree with you all your critics about the Spanish society . Moreover, I believe you are too lenient. But it should not obscure the fact that Gibraltar is a colony maintained by the breach against two resolutions of the United Nations. And that She is hurting to Spain in many ways.
I must add that UK, that presents great advantages over Spain. Is not a paradise. For example you can ask about this issue to the natives of the island of Diego Garcia, or to the patients of a british hospital who died of thirst few years ago.
El Fifi:
The fifi:
3.-
The United Nations resolved that the right of self-determination did not apply to Gibraltar because this would undermine the territorial integrity of Spain.
4.-Personally, I believe that the opening of the fence has been detrimental. Thirty years ago there were no problems and today there are many. Territorial integrity of a state is essential to its existence, and the existence of a state is essential to the life of the people living in its territory. Everything from food distribution to the physical safety of the people would be in danger if a state came down.
Jack
You do not stomach the video?
Anselmo, yes yes and the British all have devil’s horns and tails, eat little children for supper, and spew flames.
It is your mind which should not be obscured by reading right wing propaganda, newspapers and listening to your “centre” right politicians. Read what the General Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon said about the right of self determination being an inalienable right of ALL people = Gibraltar’s people too.
El Plural of fascist orientation? Surely you must be pulling my leg?
I would urge you to read today’s La Gaceta, La Razon and ABC (look up which newspapers get more subsidies from Government and that may explain why some defend the indefensible) then come back here and tell me that there are no ultras and that they don’t carry political weight. Funny though the three right orientated newspapers point to the left as the ultras and no mention of the far right, the ones whose pictures and videos I posted earlier, the same ones who stormed into the Catalonia Library whilst they were quietly celebrating “their” day.
Reading those articles and remembering Paul Preston’s well documented and researched books gives me the jitters.
As to the British Territorial Waters UNCLOS or CONVEMAR. Read up.
Catalonia was never independent from Spain, really? Seems you have been reading the wrong history books.
Anselmo,
Tell me truthfully how the return of Gibraltar to Spain would alter the ordinary Spaniard’ life?
It would certainly alter mine and every single inhabitant who lives on the Rock.
No thanks mate.
Anselmo,
I have just read an interview in the ABC with Mr Margallo. It seems he now wants to build bridges. Can’t see the logic after he has just spent the whole summer destroying them!
There doesn’t seem to be that conviction anymore that Gibraltar is a paragon of all that is evil. Have things changed that much in a few months or is it that he realises none of his accusations could be supported in any international forum.
What a waste of time and effort. All that suffering by ordinary citizens, all that whipped up hatred to achieve absolutely nothing.
El Fifi
I wouldn’t be taken in too much by the headline in that newspaper. As I read it the bridges he wants to build are with Catalonia and only because he is trying to justify his “admiration” for the human chain the Catalonians held across their borders, comment which was not applauded by his party.
Unfortunately, I think he is still holding to his guns on Gib. He can be playing that tune for as long as it suits Spain to divert attention from his government’s mismanagement of the “crisis”. You are right though that it is a waste of time and effort and that all that it is causing is whipping up hatred and making ordinary citizens suffer, mostly his own compatriots.
For anyone who can read Spanish, this Spanish journalist seems to have got it right in all but one thing. He himself has not bothered to check whether the waters in which the reefs were laid were indeed Gibraltar British Territorial Waters, in which case the Goebbels propaganda is soley on the one part, Spain’s.
“http://papeldeperiodico.com/2013/10/04/el-asunto-de-gibraltar-y-la-propaganda-de-goebbels/”
For those who cannot read Spanish there is always Google Translate.
For those that the link does not take direct to the article, you can copy paste onto your search engine or if the link takes you to the front page of the newspaper go to Opinion and then search for
el asunto de Gibraltar y la propaganda de Goebbels.
Might make sense of the nonsensical attack on Gibraltar by Spanish politicians and their minions.
Inthename,
. Mr Margallo has to save face so you can expect the usual rhetoric but he is very ambiguous in some of his answers especially when asked about Gibraltarian property in Spain and the question of British territorial waters. Suddenly, he is not that sure about Spain’s claims and comes up with answers completely lacking in clarity.
He wonders why, with no natural resources, Gibraltar ranks 4th in the world as regards GDP. He also knows the answer is simple and this is meant for national consumption.
I once read that in order to be a successful businessman you should be involved in five very different enterprises so that if one failed you were backed up by the other four.
As far as I can see, Gibraltar has six.
1. Tourism.
2. Ship repair.
3. Finance centre.
4. Bunkering.
5. On-line commerce, particularly on-line gaming.
6. Gibraltarian resourcefulness and ability to adapt. A small example of this is if you cannot bring in your building material from Spain you bring it from Morocco. Result, we continue building, Spanish firms lose out.
Mr Margallo should also be careful when interfering with gambling operations. After all ,Real Madrid’s main sponsor happens to be the Gibraltar based company 888.
On-line betting companies are now twinning with different US state regulators. Compared to these, Spain’s punters are miniscule.
El Fifi,
It has always been for internal consumption, the problem is, for Spain, its gone far beyond their borders and it is not so easy to maintain falsehoods outside those borders without having to justify these black upon white.
Sr. Margallo has thought himself king of the castle and has been abruptly reined in after giving his personal opinion on the Catalonia affair. He is, like you say, no longer so sure of his “power” any more within his own ranks. Like all school bully he is no longer having to confront only his pals who will pat him on the back, he is having to confront the school teacher, the head and the directors – EU – NATO -UN – of which Spain is supposedly a democratic partner.
I don’t think he thought Gibraltar had so much political International clout nor that the current Chief Minister of Gibraltar would go all out tirelessly to prove Gibraltar’s innocence to the world, especially with the UK Government and the Foreign Office backing him all the way. Talk about a baptism of Fire! I would not like to be in his shoes but he is doing one hell of a job.
But, always in my opinion, Spain’s Government has a lot to cover up internally and Gibraltar is still a handy tool to use. Sr. Margallo may have been told to be less vociferous but I doubt that he will let up. Unless of course he is “promoted” and another in his place eases the pressure so that Spain does not lose face.
In any case, I hope you are right and I am in the wrong for everybody’s benefit.
Ithername
Oct 6,10.22H
The British are not so bad! . You invented the soccer, the basquekball, etc.
If all the the peoples acceded to the right of self determination, practically all the states would broke and the UN would disarticulate because she would had not members, and we would see the start of an age type Mad-max or worst, with many wars betwen the lot of new states. I don´t think that Banki Moon wants to destroy the world, but there are politicians who seem that they are trying to start the WWIII . It´s posible that they think that it will be good for the resolution of the problem of excess of world population?.
In spite of the declarations of Ban Ki MoonThe resolutions of the UN about de decolonization of Gibraltar continue in vigency.
Excuse me for my ignorance about “El Plural”. They don´t publish your comentaries?
Respect to “La Razón” and “La Gaceta”, and “el Plural”, they are read by practicaly no people. In Spain pratically all the news papers depends of generous subsidies of the state and incomes of publicity of the big firms.
I think that ABC, El Mundo, El Pais, are basicaly socialdemocrats because all them are partidiaries of the free market and of the welfare sate. With some diferences betwen ones and anothers. All of them are a waste of paper.
Please say me names of fascist politicians in Spain, and you´ll find only one, elected in a town of Catalonia. In 1930´s the fascism increased because the people was afraid by the comunism. Today don´t exist that fear.
UNCLOS haven´t signed by Spain in the concernent to Gibraltar, because Spain is waiting for the decolonization of Gibraltar.
Catalonia never has been independent. Firstly She was a County dependent of the King of France, after she depended of the King of Aragon and when Castilla and Aragon jointed by marriage of Fernando and Isabel, Catalonia becomes a part of the new unitary state.
El Fifi
7 oct 1:44 PM
I´ll like that people of Gibraltar will be happy and wealthy. Why not?.But I don´t forget the necessity of decolonize the Rock and recover the territorial integrity of Spain.
In the concerning to Margallo would be necessary be positive. Is posible that he will be sincere. We must remember that he is not responsable for to throw the blocks
Ithername
OCT 7 7:24 pm
The article, is interesting, but wrong.
1º) There aren´t 11 points in Propaganda Goebless rules, there are 19 ,according Wikipedia. In reality more than 30
2º) Practically any of the 19 points, and any of the eleven points matches with the actuation of the spanish mass media about Gibraltar.
3º) If you read carefully the article you´ll find that in this is wrote that all the troubles were started by the blocks of Picardo, who deprived to the fishermen of their posibility of work in this place.
4º) Nobody says that the Picardo action is similar to the Goering plan ,called Hunger Plan, for to kill by starvation to 20 millions of russian civilians in the occupied territories in Russia . But there is a paralelism more clear that the paralelism between the spanish press and Goebbless’ propaganda.
So funny , glad to hear/see that young Spaniards have a sense of humour and irony to events (i.e. Gibraltar) that are beyond their control and will most certainly be forgotten as they grow up…and realise how insignificant Gibraltar actually is. And so funny to read all the totally “mortified” responses from those on the Rock…please get over yourselves. This one act at school will not come as a detriment to anyone or impress upon a generation. Spanish kids spend 99.99% of their time studying about everything else except the silly colonialists on the rock and are obviously have a silly time doing something “silly”. As if those on Gibraltar don’t have jokes, or I dare say repeated insults about the Spaniards? LIke i said, get over yourselves and don’t judge the Spanish education system or the morals of a bunch of student “taking the piss”. Really, I am cracking up at how serious you whities on the Rock take this….jaja…by far, it is much better for the Spanish culture to not have anything to do with a bunch of people with absolutely no sense of irony, youth or to put it frankly…just can’t be cool and enjoy life without feeling offended by anyone who dare says something they disagree with. Long live the Jack..XX