Gibraltar National Day - 2005


The day started with a Children's Fancy Dress Party at Alameda Grand Parade. At midday thousands of people gathered at Casemates Square for the traditional Political Rally which ended with the launching of 30,000 red and white balloons, which, following the wind's direction and defying Spain's air traffic restrictions, drifted gracefully across the border into Spain.

The rest of the day saw a children's funfair and various beat groups and bands playing at Casemates square and at the Coach park. A great day of fun which ended close to midnight with a fabulous fireworks display at the Detached Mole.
       
 
 
                 
 
       
                       
 
 
 
                       
 
   
                       
 
 
 
 


Gibraltar National Day - 2006

If you are wondering why there are no pictures of GND-2006, it simply is because GND-2006 turned out to be a real flop, or should I say, a one man show.

The Self-Determination for Gibraltar Group, who in 1993 created the Gibraltar National Day, and had been organising it every year since it's creation, decided not to form part of this year's Gibraltar National Day, in which freedom of opinion and expression would not be allowed to guest speakers during the political rally.

Gibraltar National Day - 2007

7th August 2007 - Press Release from the SDGG

The Self-Determination  for Gibraltar Group will NOT be holding its National Day Rally on the 10th of September 2007.

It would be misleading for the SDGG to hold a political rally which could serve as a platform to defend our colonial constitution either directly or by implication, and as a platform for the elected politicians who told our people that the referendum was an act of self-determination resulting in decolonisation. The SDGG stands by its founding principle, which indicates that the opposite is the truth, that our political status today is as colonial as it always has been.

If a political Rally takes place at Casemates on the 10th of september it will presumably be a Government event claiming that we have achieved decolonisation. The principles which founded the SDGG with the support of all political parties led to the logic of the campaign for a NO vote at the Constitutional referendum and from there follows inevitably the decision that a political rally should not be supported on national day, despite the creation of the day and the rally by the group in 1993.

The SDGG will make no further statement prior to the 10th of September on the decision taken. The group takes this opportunity to thank all supporters for their ongoing enthusiasm and particularly William Serfaty for the sterling work done by him over the 9-year period since he took over from Denis Matthews. Mr Serfaty will chair a caretaker committee until he vacates the post in November 2007.

  

Following the SDGG decision not to organise or participate in the Gibraltar National Day Rally, the Gibraltar Government decided to organise the event.

When compared with previous year's Nationa Day events, the decrease in the number of people participating this year was quite noticable. Something never experienced in past GND Political Rally was the noise created by people with air horns and booing during the Chief Minister's speech.