During the morning of the 26th March, coinciding with the arrival 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 against:

1. Prohibition of freedom of expression - (Click here)
2. Spain's objection to the GFA membership to UEFA.
3. Spain's interference on Gibraltar's fiscal affairs.
4. Parts of the Cordoba Agreement which some are not happy with.

The group carrying banners, including the famous NO TO JOINT SOVEREIGNTY banner, a banner which was first displayed during Jack Straw's visit to Gibraltar on 3rd May 2002 and every year thereafter during Gibraltar National Day and other public demonstrations, and which was not allowed to be displayed on the day of the lifting of Spanish air traffic restriction, on the grounds that no banners or demonstrations were allowed on that day.

A safety barrier was kindly set up by the police right opposite the Rock Hotel, a spot where we had been led to believe, the vehicles carrying the politicians would travel past on their way to the Rock Hotel.

Fortunately, we realised in time that the cars carrying the politicians would use the bottom entrance road, well away from where the safety barrier had been placed, so we quickly made our way down the road in order to be seen.

The Police quickly intervened and requested that we moved back to the safety barrier area, in other words, out of sight, a request that we refused to comply with. We were fortunate that at that precise moment in time, the politicians drove past and managed to get a glimpse of our banners and placards.

In contrast to our peacful protest, the VOGG pressure group decided to hold a welcoming
party at the airport. As far as I am aware, neither did they suffer police intervention nor
where they restricted to stand on a specific spot where they would not be seen by the arriving Spanish politicians.

I guess freedom of expression very much depends on whether the message one is trying to convey is in favour or against the present government's wishes.

Article 19. of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers.