NO to Joint Sovereignty
1st May 2007 - TGWU Peaceul Protest
The Transport and General Workers Union organised a gathering at the Piezza as a sign of protest against
the government's decision to change May Day from May 1st to May 7th.
Union and non-union members gathered during the day to show their support whilst union members handed leaflets to passers by explaining the origins of May 1st as International Labour Day.
The Minister for the Environment Jaime Netto, son of a former TGWU District Officer also expressed his
support in favour of holding the May Day celebrations on the 1st May.
16th March 2007 - Peaceful Protest
During the morning of the 26th March, coinciding with the arrival in Gibraltar of Mr. Pons, the Director General for Europe at the Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, a small group of Gibraltarian citizens conducted a peaceful protest.
Saturday 16th December 2006 - Freedom of Expression Denied
On the day of the landing of a Spanish aircraft after 30 years of restrictions which were imposed by General Franco. I, in order to express my opinion decided to display a banner on a public highway in the Upper Rock area.
Only minutes after standing on my own displaying the banner a police vehicle arrived and three police officers stepped out and requested that I did not display the banner. The reasons given was that demonstrations or banners were not allowed on
that day.
Freedom of opinion and expression can take different forms, depending on the person or persons wishing to express their opinion, and of course, songwritters usually do so by composing songs based on specific happenings or events.
The Salad Cream Group (El Grupo Mayonesa) did just that, and wrote the lyrics of 'VOTA QUE NO' just prior to the 2002 Referendum and, on Christmas 2002, also launched the song 'LOYOLITA'.
Vota que NO
Friday 8th November 2002 - GWA Demonstration
The demonstration held outside the Governor's residence organized by the Gibraltar Woman Association was supported by the Voice of Gibraltar Group, the Keep Gibraltar British Campaign, the War Veterans Association, the Labour Party and passers by who joined in. Drivers on vehicles also expressed their support by sounding their horns as they drove by.
The Chief Minister paid tribute to the GWA with words of praise for our
mothers and grandmothers who had sacrificed so
much during the war evacuations to ensure the future of the Gibraltarians
as a people.
Saturday 4th November - Vote 'NO' Referendum Campaign
At 11.00am, Mr Daniel Feetham and other members of the Labour Party addressed the crowd which had gathered at the Piazza, during the early afternoon both the Government and Oppositon parties, campaigning together for 'No' vote on the November 7th Referendum.
Thousands gathered at Casemates Square to listen to the Chief Minister, The Leader of the Opposition and Mr. Joseph Garcia.
Click here for photos of the campaign at the Piazza and Casemates Square
10th September 2002 - Gibraltar National Day
On it's National Day Gibraltar woke up dressed in Red and White. The Gibraltar Flag flying alongside the Union Jack from balconies, across streets, on make-do flagpoles. Flags everywhere, including for the first time this year, and very much against the liking of HM Government, from Ministry of Defence antenna masts.
Thousands attended the Political Rally at Casemates Square, where the Chief Minister and other political figures, including ministers of the UK Labour and Conservative parties, addressed the crowd which had gathered.
The Voice of Gibraltar
Group handed the Chief Minister with a key, forged from thousands of
keys handed in by the people
of Gibraltar, symbolizing that only Gibraltarians hold the key to the
future of Gibraltar.
The Casemates Rally ended at 13.30 with the launching of 30,000 red and
white balloons, one for each inhabitant of The
Rock.
The festivities continued until the late evening with a spectacular fireworks
display at midnight closing Gibraltar's
National Day.
19th July 2002 - VOGG Noisy Demonstration
Today the Voice of Gibraltar group held a loud demonstration which commenced outside the Governors residence and from there proceeded to HMS Rooke (Ministry of Defence) establishment. Cars passing by hooted, thus making the noisy demonstration even noisier.
Paul Tunbridge and Annette Tunbridge gifted the Governor with a book on Ghandi and a cotton bag containing salt. The gift included the followin note:
"To the Governor, from Paul and Annette Tunbridge activists with the Voice of Gibraltar group, but given to you in our personal capacity.
The purpose of this book is to remind you of "Perfidious Albion" since you believe a deal with the Spaniards as such a good thing, we thought you might want to read it in Spanish. The accompanying cotton bag contains salt, the significance of which you will surely understand. If not it will become all too clear when you read the book."
Saturday 13th July - Changing of the Guard Ceremony
As usual the crowd, mostly tourists, gathered outside
the Governor's residence on Saturday to watch the traditional
Changing
of
the Guards Ceremony outside the Governor's residence.
Members of the Voice of Gibraltar and Self-determination
groups turned up with their banners to the applause of the crowd.
During the ceremony a number of members of the public booed and shouted
"traitor" and other similar phrases at the
Governor.
Friday 12th July - Loud Demonstration
Coinciding with the postponed Anglo-Spanish talks on Gibraltar the Voice of Gibraltar Group staged a loud demonstration outside the Governor's residence. A number of members of the VOGG also blocked the entrance to one of the Ministry of Defense establishments.
Well done VOGG
May - Protest rally
Coinciding with
the UK Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw's visit to Gibraltar on Friday 3rd
May, the GSLP and Liberal Party
held
a Protest Rally. The meeting point was at Casemates Square, from where
the thousands that gathered walked to the
Governor's residence, there
they joined with the 500 demonstrators who had stood vigil with members
of the Council of
Representative
Bodies.
As Straw put it upon his arrival, his visit to Gibraltar was to listen to the people, and he certainly did. He arrived in a private plane and was driven, under escort, to the Governor's residence, around 300 people had gathered there to greet him, and I must say they gave Mr. Straw a very warm welcome, it was around 6.00pm when the thousands led by the GSLP and Liberal Party arrived.
During his short visit Straw met with the Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and members of other political parties.
I believe he not only listened, but
that he got the message. He walked into the Governor's residence through
the front door
and
at around 7.00pm he fled through the back door, thus unfortunately, the
thousand gathered where unable to wish him a
'bon voyage'.
Good-bye Mr. Straw.... I hope this visit serves you as a lifelong reminder that we are as British as you are and that we detest you coming over to explain how you would like to sell us out.
Monday 18th March - Massive Public Demonstration
Around 25,000 people turned
up at the Public Demonstration which received worldwide media coverage,
considering
Gibraltar has a population of 30,000 inhabitants, it certainly
means a big NO to any sort of agreements which the UK and
Spanish Governments
might be making behind our backs.
Following the Ministry
of Defense refusal to grant the afternoon off to its employees, most
of the M.O.D. Employees took
the day off work in order to attend the
demonstration. Thank you Ministry of Defense, with friends like you
who needs
enemies.
Gibraltar has said NO to any form
of talks concerning our future between the UK and Spain
4th February - Public
Demonstration
agreement on joint sovereignty of British Gibraltar, a demonstration was held close to the Spanish border gates.
The objective of the demonstration was twofold, firstly to express to
the UK government the opposition of the vast majority
of
Gibraltarians on any discussions leading towards a joint sovereignty and
secondly to show to the Spanish government that
the
land frontier is where Spain ends and British Gibraltar begins.
Gibraltar is part of Europe, not part of Spain