MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Bay of Gibraltar ‘naval’ battle over artificial reef that prevents Spanish fishing
Drivers were forced to queue for hours in blistering heat as Spain tightened its border controls with Gibraltar in the wake of the standoff at sea on Thursday. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesSpain, the idiots of the EU, and that is saying something.
Jul 27th, 2013 - 09:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps when the Spanish fishermen wreck a few boats on the new reef they may learn the lesson: don’t fuck with Gibraltar.
Spain's making itself look like a fool. And as Argentina is learning slowly, it only bolsters resolve.
Jul 27th, 2013 - 09:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The UK thinks in long term goals and the Spanish government is like a child chucking a tantrum.
Rajoy is acting like Franco with a beard, Cameron like Chamberlain with the jitters.
Jul 27th, 2013 - 09:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina has nothing to lose since the UK has nothing of clout to offer Argentina in any relevant area. Spain on the other land has Ceuta and Melilla for starters, and tons of tourist from the UK, and a great deal of trade between the two countries. And the Gibraltarians are Spanish, the Flaklanders are not.
Jul 27th, 2013 - 10:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The two situations are totally different.
@4 Spain has everything to lose from this situation
Jul 27th, 2013 - 10:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“the Gibraltarians are Spanish”
Jul 27th, 2013 - 11:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nostrils really needs to travel!
Ethnically not officially.
Jul 27th, 2013 - 11:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I just read Picardo's letter to Cameron:
我愛你，請跟我做愛把，狗樣子。
You aren't letting them steal what they want to steal. You're “stealing” from them.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 12:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0No need to hurt them maybe. They are hurting themselves, and hurting pretty badly as it is.
But, can you carpet bomb that Guardia Civil Base? Would that be olrite?
Ethnicity is only one facet of national identity. Otherwise you would be Italian or Spanish and not Argentine.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 01:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0If only Nostrils travelled he would realise this.
I don't know why they're complaining about this reef, the Spanish have laid 25 of them themselves since 1989, 75% of the cost funded by the EU.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 06:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.besana.es/es/web/noticias/201108/junta-instala-25-arrecifes-artificiales-en-costa-andaluza-para-evitar-la-sobreexplotacion
What a brilliant idea, next chess move is Spain's.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 08:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0Playing silly buggers at the border is only inconveniencing their own people who work on the rock.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 09:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Into the 3rd day now of misery at the border, mostly for tourists and the Spanish, but not a mention of this in the British press. Frankly I find that disgusting.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 09:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Spain is jeopardising their recovery with these childish tantrums.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 09:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0Millions of Britons holiday in Spain every year, but if they are persuaded to holiday in Greece instead, because Spain is bullying Gibraltar, then Spain will lose billions of Euros in earnings.
Furthermore, if they continue to act like idiots, it's more likely that the British Government will veto any aid to Spain to help them recover from the mess they are in.
Rajoy is using Gibraltar as a distraction from his bribery scandal, as well as the appalling economic situation.
The vast majority of the people the Guardia Civil are inconveniencing are Spanish. I doubt that these Spanish people appreciate their jobs being endangered by being delayed. I doubt they appreciate their children having their health threatened by having to wait for 7 hours in a car in the hot sun. These people are certainly not going to support Rajoy, his party, or the Guardia Civil.
In short, the more that Spain acts like idiots with these delays, the more likely that they will be censured and fined by the EU for breaching their EU border obligations. The EU are watching and they complained the last time this happened. If Rajoy is not careful, he will be treated as a pariah at the next EU meeting for heads of state.
@4 & 7 What are you gabbling about? “Spain on the other land has Ceuta and Melilla for starters”. What is that supposed to mean? Are you so totally stupid that you think that the UK would want to take on disputes with Morocco in return for Gibraltar? No thanks. Have to agree that a portion of the population of Gibraltar is Spanish. 24% actually. Other ethnicities include British, Italian, Portuguese, Maltese and Jewish. And I'll bet those of Spanish ethnicity have gone to Gibraltar to avoid the Spanish “government”. You really must get out more. And stop believing the trash your “government” tells you to believe.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 10:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0They should just close the border from the Gibraltar side and be done with it. So much for freedom of travel within the EU, 7 hours to cross a border in summer heat…..no thank you.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 10:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0It’s baffling why Cameron hasn’t reacted properly to this.
#7
Jul 28th, 2013 - 10:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0“the Gibraltarians are Spanish,”
Not actually correct. The current make up of ethnic background gives a figure of 24% Spanish, UK 27%. Then we have Genoese, Portuguese, Moroccans and various other groups.
I see we have started bringing Chinese into your posts.
Grow up ! This presumably to show us that you are continuing with your studies. Good for you but nobody is really interested .回头见
Grow a set Cameron and stop letting the Spaniards make a fool of you to the rest of the world!.......All that big talk and the Queens Speech......shit or get off the pot!
Jul 28th, 2013 - 12:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@18
Jul 28th, 2013 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The only people making fools of themselves are the Spanish!
It is being reported that a British Gibraltar civilian has been physically assaulted by Spanish border police earlier today.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 03:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Time the UK government woke up and retaliated with the only thing these bully's understand...force.
I gather that the 25 reefs that the Spanish have built (#10)
Jul 28th, 2013 - 04:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0is to protect the Spanish from their own stupidity and greed.
Wow even the Fuds hate the Spanish.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 04:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0[Just an opinion ]
Jul 28th, 2013 - 06:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We think that as mr Cameron [who swears by an election] is in fact pro European, but cant openly say it,
To succeed he must comply, he must not make waves or fall out with other members, as this would help our cause to get out,
Some say the British will do something; we are very cleaver, sneaky and cunning,
But to Cameron this is far more important, and labour and the libdems are of the same mind,
We will do nothing to jeopardize our friendship with Spain, so a wrap across the hand is simpler,
From my point of view the sooner we get out of this corrupt greedy incompetent EU the better, it is obvious most don’t like us, the Spanish take the piss, and the rest turn a blind eye, hoping and praying nothing goes wrong, or no one dies,
The impression we are giving Spain, is that we do not care,
We either defend what is ours, or someone else will..
And a governments first job is to defend, not ignore,
Perhaps all this will go away, and Spain gives up and we can all be mates again, but sadly I don’t think so, and the future of the EU and its disasters are still to come, and France may well be next,
Either put Spain in its place, or pay the humiliating price that comes with it..
Just my opinion..
.
Ok so just to confirm for some you out there who don't seem to have a clue, gibraltarians happen to be GIBRALTARIANS!! NOT SPANISH NOT ENGLISH, the same way that someone from northern Ireland is northern irish, not English, although they are apart of the British territories they have their own identity and they should have the right to self determination, spain do not have the right to force themselves on us or dictate our nationality, you wont find a single gibraltarian that wants to be apart of spain or its Franco-esc government.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 08:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 08:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Gibraltar is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. This means it has the protection of the British Army.
A 'protectorate' is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains formal sovereignty, and remains a state under international law. A territory subject to this type of arrangement is also known as a Protected State.
I don't know if Gibraltar is a 'protectorate' in the true sense of the word but, as an Overseas Territory, it has the protection of the British armed forces.
Perhaps the British armed forces should do a little bit of timely 'protecting'.
This is going to continue with Spain being the cause of a Gibraltarian's death. They've already shot at an unarmed defenseless civilian on a jetski to prove their manhood with effective impunity.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 08:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm in agreement with Geoff. Whenever there is a Gibraltarian in the water, there should be a Gibraltarian government presence nearby with armed backup from the British armed forces. Spain can cry “bully” all it wants but the evidence is all over youtube of what they do when people who don't shoot back aren't around.
The Spanish Guardia Civil assaulted a Gibraltarian on a bicycle this afternoon. He was knocked off his cycle and then dragged to an area where he could be beaten up out of sight of the British border police.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 09:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thankfully it was captured on i-phones by other Gibraltarians and posted to facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151781972976944&set=o.266886966744455&type=2&permPage=1
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151781972976944&set=o.266886966744455&type=2&permPage=1
Complaints were made by the Foreign Office and now Madrid has ordered the Guardia Civil to open the border fully and not delay any more vehicles.
The Spanish Guardia Civil are nothing but fascists. They terrorise even their own citizens, who are too frightened to speak up about their inhuman behaviour.
26 nigelpwsmith
Jul 28th, 2013 - 09:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The content is no longer available. That's a surprise!
for your viewing.......
Jul 28th, 2013 - 10:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.gbc.gi/news/2123/gibraltarian-aggressively-arrested-by-spanish-police
Why doesn't Gibraltar apply to fully join the UK? Then it becomes part of the EU and Spain would be in breach of EU rules on free movement.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 11:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The UK Government could then threaten to end all flights from the UK to Spain. Tourists will book Greece or stay in the UK. The Spanish economy can't take that.
I thought the UK was all against “economic” blackmail as uncivilized.
Jul 28th, 2013 - 11:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Tut tut tut...
We've already been ridiculously patient. Second-rate morally bankrupt crapholes like Argentina and Spain don't deserve to leech a penny from us.
Jul 29th, 2013 - 12:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0I'm sure Spain will listen to that one Britninja, but Argentina?
Jul 29th, 2013 - 02:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0Your economic threats would be empty threats.
Britain complaining to Spain is actually now on the front page of the BBC website. It's a fairly small headline, sandwiched between a double homicide (in mysterious circumstances) and a statistical piece on cancer survival rates (and how they're improving).
Jul 29th, 2013 - 09:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0The story is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23482549
@30 Gibraltar is already part of the EU in its own right. However, like the UK, it is not part of the Schengen agreement and so Spain is obliged to maintain the border crossing. There has been talk of them joining Schengen in the past but it has not come to pass - also, since, unlike the UK they are not part of the customs union, even if they joined Schengen the Spanish would still need to have a customs checkpoint at the border.
Jul 29th, 2013 - 10:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0Cameron is on holiday in Portugal.
Jul 29th, 2013 - 03:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But Nick Clegg (and his Spanish wife) & William Hague are getting a lot of messages through Twitter demanding that he do something, or hand the issue over the UKIP as a valid reason for Britain to leave the EU.
Jul 29th, 2013 - 06:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nick Clegg (and his Spanish wife
Jul 29th, 2013 - 06:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0says it all does it not,
And he makes UKIP better every day..
*30 Good idea!! The sooner you all leave Spain the better!! Who wants drunken loats and suicide balcony jumpers . The Russians with their families are slowly replacing this trash tourism. Hotels on the coast are recruiting staff who speak Russian. Go to Greece or Turkey, PLEASE!!!
Jul 30th, 2013 - 10:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0#39
Jul 30th, 2013 - 12:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0As an aussie, how would you know this ?
I read the papers!! That´s why they are printed.
Jul 30th, 2013 - 01:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Spain today said they would carry on as usual,
Jul 30th, 2013 - 03:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The British said ok.lol
But why can’t we ????
And do????
And stop???
Nah the British government won’t go for it,
Some papers today say Spain is exposing our military weakness.
All we can say is,
Sooner or later, someone is going to have a bloody big great headache,
And Cameron is one of the top 10…lol
Gib is not part of Schegen, therefore the Spaniards can do whatever they like on their side of the border.......
Jul 30th, 2013 - 03:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#41
Jul 30th, 2013 - 04:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Which papers ? And why does it concern you so deeply ?
www.businesscitymagazine.com/russia-in-spain-increasing-tourism-trade-and-investment. It concerns me deeply because this trash are giving Britain a bad image abroad.
Jul 30th, 2013 - 06:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#45
Jul 31st, 2013 - 03:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0I have read your article. Not exactly a mainstream publication with mass appeal. It deals with increased trade and tourism between Spain and Russia. Where does it say ANYTHING about the behaviour of lager louts from the UK?
Your English is giving you away again. It should be “is giving” and not “are giving”. Also drunken “loat” - you mean lout
Why does it concern you deeply that Britain is being given a bad image abroad ? I understood that you have a very low opinion of the UK and all who sail in her.
Why specifically Spain ? It's OK if they go to Greece or Turkey and behave badly ?
Is it because you speak Spanish -( S.A. form) - that you feel deeply about this or is it just another troll who is getting himself confused with his/her current personality.
@35,43: If Gibraltar is part of the EU, but not Schengen, then Spain has to allow free movment of goods across the border. Some searching and control, as at dover for example, is clearly allowed - but imposing long delays is against EU rules.
Jul 31st, 2013 - 06:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0Of course, if Britain were to leave the EU, then I suppose Spain could do what it liked and shut the border completely if it wanted to.
Britain and Spain agreed to relax the border controls at Gibraltar, because both countries benefited from this. The Spanish work in Gibraltar, but live in Spain and the British get a work force that doesn't need accomodation on the Rock. Furthermore, they can access the airports at Jerez and Malaga for diverted flights. Aircraft are not always capable of landing at Gibraltar because of its unique weather patterns. It is prone to fog and this can make landings difficult with such a short runway.
Jul 31st, 2013 - 07:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0The Spanish Government (and the Guardia Civil in particular) are being difficult and deliberately hampering the border out of spite.
Delaying the border is against Spain's EU obligations. They are entitled to make customs checks (at random), but checking every vehicle, or pedestrian is against the spirit of the British/Spain border agreement and the spirit of the EU free movement on borders.
Spain cannot win in the long run. Britain can veto any EU aid to Spain. Spain relies on British holidaymakers (amongst other nationalities) and if the British went elsewhere, it would be catastrophic for the Spanish holiday business on the coasts and holiday resorts.
If Spain is not careful and lifts the border restrictions, they could end up in far worse economic mess than they are in already.
Ah but acording to- aussie sunshine
Jul 31st, 2013 - 02:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0they want the russians as holiday makers..
perhaps, as Argentina looks to CHINA == aussie sunshine looks to the russian.
lolol.
47 enviroc
Jul 31st, 2013 - 05:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And have ANOTHER 10,000 unemployed; that would be good move, wouldn't it?
British exports abroad!! bloody disgrace!!
Jul 31st, 2013 - 06:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-126279/British-students-cause-drunken-havoc-spanish-holiday-resort
#51
Aug 01st, 2013 - 07:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Sorry but your link does not work. I would agree that it is disgraceful behaviour. The Spanish should close all the bars responsible for serving drink to these hooligans.
Another point worth noting, if a group of UK civilians can cause such havoc, what would a company of UK troops do !
I think you should warn your countrymen to stay well clear of the Falklands in case they find this out !
*52 Totally agree!! do not serve British Di**he**!! Only Europeans allowed!!
Aug 02nd, 2013 - 07:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Another point don´t compare Argentine young conscripts with the Spanish professional military forces.......
#52
Aug 03rd, 2013 - 05:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0Hot off the press, British are also Europeans !!
I am confused about your nationality here. You purport to be Australian but now you say you are Spanish ?
No, I would not compare Spanish troops with Argentinians, either regular or conscripts. I think our army could take care of both.
bRITISH eUROPEANS YOU NEVER HAVE BEEN AND YOU WILL NEVER BE !! The sooner the Govermenment gives you the referendum vote you will at last NOT BE IN EUROPE,,,BYE BYE,,, ( I can hear moonface (Picardo) shaking in his boots and shouting ”DON´T CLOSE THE BORDER!!
Aug 03rd, 2013 - 06:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#55
Aug 04th, 2013 - 06:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0As an “Aussie” what does it mater to you.?
Have you seen the British war cemeteries in France, Belgium and Holland ? These men died to free “Europe” from tyranny.
We have been net payers into the European coffers so that countries like Spain can have free ride.
Give us your definition of a European.
Your ignorance is obvious to all
@56 Clyde15
Aug 04th, 2013 - 09:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0I wouldn't bother trying to educate the poster known as aussie sunshine.
He's a stupid Argentine, with little knowledge of the UK, English language, or the importance of the UK to the EU.
He's only gratification is to come onto these boards and try to insult the British posters. He really doesn't know what he's writing about and carries a massive chip on his shoulder from Argentina's humiliating defeat in 1982.
He doesn't realise that if the UK decided to leave the EU, then Germany would have to leave as well. The EU budget has grown exponentially over the past 5 decades. Without Britain's financial contribution, the EU would have to scale back expenditure so much, that the rest of the EU would demand that Germany (as the richest member) make up the shortfall. Germany is already having difficult bailing out Greece, Spain & Portugal, but if they have to bail out Italy as well (and they will have to) then the Euro will collapse.
Without Britain, the EU cannot survive. Both the United States & Japan know this, which is why they've been making overtures to Britain to stay in the EU.
aussie sunshine doesn't understand that Spain's behaviour over Gibraltar could endanger the entire EU. The Spanish politicians are using the dispute as a diversion from their economic problems, but the dispute is seen in the UK as yet another example of why we should leave the EU, so we can benefit from the huge amount of money we pay to Europe each year.
Norway has always been outside the EU and their economic growth has been comparable to the rest of Europe, except they're not required to pay Billions to the EU, to prop up farmers in France, Spain or Italy.
UKIP will be the beneficiaries of Spain's bad behaviour and their MEPs will disrupt any European business which goes against the interests of the United Kingdom. Gibraltar will be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
57 nigelpwsmith
Aug 04th, 2013 - 11:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0Excellent synopsis of the situation viz the UK and the EU.
I can’t wait for the UK to leave the EU and let the rest stew in their own juice but I think that Camoron is such a useless twat who cannot make his mind up over anything that it will take an election to sharpen the topic up in the minds of some of the public.
By that time of course Italy will have thrown the towel in and the resulting crash may well have irreparably broken the EU.
@58
Aug 04th, 2013 - 12:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Quite so. Camoron made a terrible decision postponing the referendum until 2017, because he's handed the initiative to UKIP. They stand to win at the Euro-elections and this will give UKIP the political respectability to be elected at the General Election.
It seems to me that there are now two distinct groups. Those that still support their political party, regardless of the terrible things they've done and the rest of the population, who want nothing to do with the mainstream political groups & want something new. The current political parties can be blamed for;
A) Labour - for getting us into the financial mess in the first place;
B) Conservatives - for inflicting pain & suffering on everyone to recover from Labour's financial mess;
C) Liberals - for breaking their election promises & acting as Human Shields allowing the Conservatives to inflict pain - even against all Liberal principles.
UKIP is offering to take us out of Europe, but more than that, they are picking & choosing the best policies from the existing parties. That doesn't mean that I would be happy with Nigel Farage as PM, because he lacks experience, but he can act as a power broker to bring about the change to preserve the best of Britain.
Gibraltar would not suffer if Britain left the EU. In fact, I believe they would flourish. Spain needs Gibraltar (for the jobs it offers Spaniards) more than Gibraltar needs Spain. Gibraltar managed to get by perfectly well without Spain when Franco imposed his siege. It split families, but it did not stop Gibraltar growing economically.
I cannot wait for the Euro-elections - to see 'Geli' and the other Troika politicians wake up and smell the roses - that Britain could & will leave the EU. maybe then they will realise that the Euro is doomed & it would be better to end the experiment, rather than force all the Euro-med countries to be slaves to the Toika's whims.
59 nigelpwsmith
Aug 04th, 2013 - 03:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I really, really hope you are correct.
The only comment I would make of your piece is a minor one. It's perhaps a bit mean on Farage to say he lacks experience when we have ended up with Camoron! I mean come on! Who is less expeienced than Camoron? :o)
Hi guys. Just registered with the site after reading the insightful comments made on this article. It makes a change from reading the Daily Mail Online.
Aug 05th, 2013 - 01:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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