John Culatto
A MAN who climbed the roof of the Governor’s home to protest for the rights of the homeless on the Rock has been arrested.
Samuel Lloyd, 42, of Saddleworth, UK, somehow managed to scale the the Convent in the middle of the day.
The RGP were quickly on the scene after his protest was reported at 2pm yesterday and cordoned off the area.
Traffic diversions were put in place and pedestrians warned to stay away from the area.
The Fire and Rescue Services, ambulance and Gibraltar Defence Police quickly placed a hydraulic crane at the Convent.
Officers climbed onto the roof and tried to bring Lloyd down to the ground.
Eventually, just after 3pm, the man came down on his own and was arrested.
He was charged with obstructing police, making disturbances and breaking the lockdown.
Lloyd appeared this morning before the Magistrates Court to answer for these charges.
Homeless situation
The homeless often have a hard time in Gibraltar and there are very few resources to care for them.
They have been known to live in squalid situations without much help from government agencies.
“For years we have been demanding a halfway house for people who have been left homeless possibly even after a divorce,” said Henry Pinna of Action for Housing.
“The project announced by the government to build a large hostel with hundreds of beds could go a long way to tackle this serious problem.
“However, I do not know the particular circumstances of the individual who climbed on the roof of the Convent.”
Security at the Convent could also be put into question by the incident, especially considering the terrorist threat.
