Picardo: 'Gibraltar will never be Spanish!"

(Photo: europasur.es / F.Guerrero)

GIBRALTAR (Panorama) At yesterday's National Day rally in Gibraltar, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that Gibraltar will never be Spanish. After six British Members of Parliament had spoken supporting Gibraltar and its people in their problems with Spain, Mr Picardo said: "This is our land, our home, our Rock. We are here to assert that we have the right to self-determination. No 300-year old treaty or threats (from Spain) will ever intimidate us. We will never concede one grain of sand, one breath of our air or one drop of our waters. Gibraltar will never be Spanish." Referring to the ongoing fishing dispute with Spain, one of the speakers, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, said: "I say to the British Government, the next time a Spanish vessel enters Gibraltar waters, that vessel should be apprehended and its crew arrested."

National Day: Government and Opposition further divided

GIBRALTAR Next Friday, September 10, is Gibraltar National Day, which once again promises to broaden distances between Government and the Opposition. Thus GSLP/Libs and PDP have promised to attend the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group's Casemates rally, while Chief Minister Peter Caruana and his ministers, as well as the party faithful, will be doing the official rounds instead and have refused to be seen at Casemates. Nothing new there; the matter has been at stalemate for several years. (Prospero note: There might be a supposition of unity for an occasion such as National Day, but that might be too much to expect on the Rock.)