Additional reporting by Alfred Clarke
IN A SHOW of patriotic solidarity, thousands of Gibraltarians dressed in red and white waved their flags and the Union Jack in their main square today.
They loudly cheered the fiery remarks of their leaders and political allies, who repeatedly insisted that it was ‘only the Gibraltarians’ who would decide their fate.
All of them reiterated that the sovereignty of Gibraltar is not something to concede and the treaty between the United Kingdom and the European Union that led to the removal of the border was signed ‘without’ any concessions or changes affecting the sovereignty of the territory.
Richard Buttigieg, the spokesperson for the SDGG, the civil society group that organised National Day, kicked off the celebrations, and his speech well reflected the single message that the government wanted to convey.
“Our identity will not change with a fence,” he tub-thumped, pointing to the removal of the border. “Our identity is intertwined with our history, our institutions and our values.”
The rally, named ‘Self-determination for Gibraltar’, was really kickstarted when the British national anthem was played.
Credit: The Olive Press, Barry Tabrizi
A UK parliamentary delegation – including nearly a dozen MPs – paid respect to the anthem, immediately standing up on stage.
They consisted of a spectrum of Labour, Conservative and Reform politicians with dress codes suitable for Gibraltar’s hot summer.
This meant shorts and polo shirts, allowing them to cope with temperatures well above 30 degrees in direct sunlight. Most of them forgot to bring hats and looked hot, despite the steamy summer they have just experienced back home in London.
Labour’s Amanda Martin was one of two MPs afforded a speech and emphasised the extraordinary close relationship between Gibraltar and the UK, insisting that the people of Gibraltar can always count on British MPs to ‘fight for their rights’.
The patriotic local song ‘Llévame Donde Nací’, or ‘Take Me Where I Was Born’, which is strongly associated with Gibraltar’s National Day, took the ceremony up another notch as everyone around joined in the sing song.
Credit: The Olive Press, Barry Tabrizi
The 59th anniversary of Gibraltar’s landmark 1967 sovereignty referendum comes just weeks since the border with Spain was finally removed and a controversial treaty was signed between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
But listening to the political elite of the city, it was obvious in Casemates Square that there was still a strong need to reiterate that decision as a victory.
Especially as the sovereignty issue with Spain is an ongoing and thorny issue.
“This treaty will protect the business and the sovereignty of Gibraltar,” insisted Europe Minister Lord Stewart Wood.
He then reiterated the maxim: ‘Nothing about you without you,’ and emphasised that ‘the Government of Gibraltar was at the table when the treaty was signed.’
This emphasis also resonated in the remarks of Fabian Picardo, Gibraltar’s outgoing Chief Minister, as he started his speech to the energetic tune of celebrated pop dirge ‘The Final Countdown’ by the Swedish rock band Europe.
Coming as he noted it would be his last year in office, his speech had the fiery tone of a wartime address, as if rallying a people to defend their homeland.
In typical Fabian bluster he recalled how, 59 years ago, ‘our fathers and grandfathers cast their votes’ while living under the threat of a dictator who warned that, if they chose to remain with the UK, their telephone lines would be cut and the border would be closed.
“Yet they still voted that way,” he said, “because they wanted to show that the people of Gibraltar had the right to decide their own future.”
‘Nothing has changed’
To see how things have changed, we interviewed a few people dressed in red and white, the proud people of Gibraltar.
Ian Tway Dignam, a Gibraltarian who has lived for ‘many, many years’ in Gibraltar, told us that the people should be able to determine their fate and that the current government is fighting for their rights.
Credit: The Olive Press, Barry Tabrizi
He was happy that the border was opened, especially because the government didn’t make ‘even one concession’.
He insisted that the territory was still ‘100% British’ and it should ‘remain that way’.
But teenager Megan Cook was not 100% sure that the removal of the border was in the interests of the people.
“Crime rates have definitely gone up since more people are coming in,” she said.
For her, safety was on the agenda, and she would be happier if she saw Gibraltar become a ‘safer’ place.
Meanwhile, Eddie Martinez said that after the removal of the border, nothing has changed and Gibraltar has remained as it was.
Parting shot
The new future is just two months old, and as the Olive Press team returned across the now Schengen open border, it definitely seemed to be a golden one.
Leaving the territory without any queues or a need to show a passport was joyous in the extreme, after years when frequent waits would last over two hours.
If things remain this calm and upbeat it is not too much to believe that the Campo de Gibraltar and even the wider Costa del Sol and Andalucia region could be a strong beneficiary to the new broom.
Red, white and blue, benefits to all of you!
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I believe Giblatarians have been conned by the UK Government (Lammy the traitor) sold you out.