PROTEST organisers of a march against the recently published Gibraltar treaty have claimed the turnout would’ve been higher but for fear of ‘retribution’.
A group of Gibraltarians marched through the territory’s streets on March 5 to demand a referendum on the Rock’s long-awaited post-Brexit treaty, which they branded ‘treacherous’.
Organisers claim many more of the Rock’s 40,000 residents oppose the treaty but are scared to speak out due to reprisals.
One attendee who preferred to remain anonymous said: “People here are very afraid of showing their faces or even speaking out because of reprisals from the government, and this is a fact.”
The Olive Press understands that a number of organisers have since received harassment and mockery on Facebook.
Opposition party Together Gibraltar has regularly accused the government of creating a ‘culture of fear’ within the Rock’s small, close-knit community, which serves to silence NGOs and civil groups that fail to toe the party line.
Protest organisers worry this ‘culture of fear’ could stifle their protests.
Organisers were required to request police permission six days in advance, submitting their application on February 27.
Meanwhile, activists claim the government and opposition deliberately delayed a parliamentary motion approving the treaty until March 4 – just one day before the demonstration – which they say further reduced turnout.
The group behind the protest said around 300 people gathered at the historic Casemates square – contradicted by GBC, which reported that just ‘over 80’ attended.
The Olive Press estimates that approximately 100 people participated in the protest.
The group is calling for a referendum on the treaty, insisting that Gibraltarians should have a direct say in the Rock’s future.
The treaty’s fate now rests with the EU and the UK, who must decide whether to approve it.
It must be formally ratified by the UK Parliament and the European Commission for implementation before April 10 – when the EU’s new EES system must be activated at every entry point into the Schengen zone.
The protest’s organisers demand a referendum so that ‘the people here can decide’.
They say that the Spanish government opposed a referendum during the negotiations and the UK conceded which, for one attendee, ‘deprives us of our democratic right’.
The treaty’s Article 66 is also highly contested – it allows Spain to terminate the treaty, but Gibraltar does not have this right.
Gibraltar’s government is asking the British government to add a concordat to the treaty which will allow Gibraltar’s government to terminate the treaty.
However, a concordat is not a legally binding agreement, which worries Gibraltarians and with the scheduled date looming closer there is no guarantee that this will be approved.
As the Rock’s future remains uncertain, almost 10 years after the Brexit referendum when 96% of the territory’s population voted remain, many Gibraltarians worry that their voices may still go unheard.
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