Alex Iszatt (Reporter)
THE Spanish authorities have stepped up their searches of vehicles on the Gibraltar border, less than 24 hours after a high-ranking visit by the European Commission (EC) to investigate the issue.
The action brought misery to thousands trying to get home on Friday evening, and many turned to social media to vent their frustrations.
“Stuck in Gibraltar again – They are making every car park at the border, opening up each boot and bonnet and searching – when there are a few thousand cars waiting,” read one. “It is a total joke”.
The sudden go slow led to some people spending up to four hours in the queues, it was reported.
The searches also came just hours after the EC visit, which followed complaints made by the Government of Gibraltar and MEPs at the end of July.
The Commission delegation was accompanied by the deputy chief minister and senior officials to view the vehicular, pedestrian and commercial entry and exit points of the frontier from the Gibraltar side. At the time there was a two-hour queue of vehicles trying to enter the territory.
After the visit Gibraltar’s Conservative MEPs called on the Commission to make an “early and crystal clear” public statement on the findings of the fact-finding mission.
In a joint statement they vowed: “We will not let the issue be kicked into the long grass.”
They said it was ‘vitally important’ to the people of Gibraltar and raised ‘extremely serious’ about freedom of movement and trade.
If Gibraltar is a problem, decolonize it
Spain needs to stop using Gibraltar as an excuse and be truthful with their people.
The Gibraltarians DO have the right to self-determination. It is as Ban Ki-Moon says, ‘The world’s 16 remaining territories that still do not govern themselves must have complete freedom in deciding their future status,’ Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told a forum on decolonization (2010). After more than 300 years of separate development the Gibraltarians have earned their right to self-determination.
Stop using Gibraltar as an excuse and bullying the Gibraltarians.
@Picardo
Gibraltar has been asking the UN for its decolonisation every year since 1969, but Spain just blocks this every time, then later complains that Gibraltar has not yet been decolonised…
Bring the price of cigarettes and alcohol up to same level as Spain and 80% of the traffic will be gone.
After more than enough advance warning, it was no surprise that on the day of the big inspection, the delays were “calmed down”. It’s equally no surprise at all, that now the inspection has finish, the delays are back to their former draconian standards. They (the Spanish government) are like spoilt children trying to get their way & yet as far as I can see, only hurting relationships & trade between Spain & Gibraltar. Is it any wonder that the people of Gibraltar vote they way they constantly have?
The trouble is David that Gibraltar will lose it’s tax on all cigarettes and alcohol sold and Spain would lose out on all the fuel and cigarettes it export’s to Gibraltar
The real loser’s of the bullying by Spain David are the people from the Campo area, most of us who live in Gibraltar tend to leave our car’s parked up and do our shopping localy
In these days of high technology I suggest that the Gibraltar authorities erect a high definition web cam and have it beamed live on the European Union web site, if the EU won’t allow that I’m sure there is a computer hacker who will do the job for them. Rajoy is using dirty tricks so fight fire with fire.
After Franco passed away, the Spanish government grudgingly open the gates to Gibraltar (initially only for pedestrians but on later for vehicles as well). Prior to that La Linea was a total dump, full of unemployed & the campo area was a wilderness). It would seem that the ministers involved in these present draconian measures are unaware of this & are unaware of the enormous benefits the free movement of people & goods have brought to their own country. Sad.
They need to keep up with the times & read some history whilst bearing in mind all the work & the supplying of goods & materials (not forgetting the Spanish construction companies who’ve benefited) & how they could improve relations with Gibraltar instead of putting everyone’s back up to no purpose.
if you want to see the queues look at this live stream. “http://www.frontierqueue.gi/”
I have not driven into Spain for shopping since the end of July, and I am only one of probably 10000 of us spending money here in Gib rather than in Spain.
WHO IS THE LOSER?
Llanito is right…. all this hurts the people of the Campo area / La linea more than the Gibraltarians…
Picado,
quite agree and while we are at it let’s decolonize – Chile/Peru/Venezuela/the Canaries/Mexico/Portarica/Colombia and especially Christmas Island which is 4000K from Chile.
The indigenous people are being brutalised and their land stolen by – the descendants of the Spanish conquistadores – great programme on CNN – oh did I forget to mention your stolen enclaves in North Africa as well- denial syndrome in spades, what a tonto.
Correction, should read Easter Island. Did you all get the impression from lots of natural world programmes that the island was deserted because the indigenous people had died out – completely false.
Just in case you have missed a link I posted on another article, the one with the video of the school, have a look at this one written by a Spanish journalist.
so strong is the propaganda Goebbels style, that even the journalist who has written the article has fallen for it, himself unknowingly or not. I am afraid though it is in Spanish but what is a language problem when one has google translate at your fingertips.
“http://papeldeperiodico.com/2013/10/04/el-asunto-de-gibraltar-y-la-propaganda-de-goebbels/”
If you cannot access the link direct, copy paste it onto your search engine or if it directs you to the main page click on opinions at the top and then search for
el asunto de Gibraltar y la propaganda Goebbels.
It makes sense of the nonsensical method the Spanish government is using in attacking Gibraltar.