Demonstrators march to No.6 over treaty concerns

A small group of protestors marched from Casemates to No.6 Convent Place on Thursday evening to voice their concern about the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar.

They were marching a day after the Gibraltar Parliament voted unanimously to approve a motion calling on the UK to ratify the treaty on Gibraltar’s behalf.

Parliament backed the motion having first amended it to make it conditional on the UK and Gibraltar agreeing a concordat – a formal document that will be laid in both the UK and Gibraltar parliaments – stating clearly that Gibraltar would have a “trigger” to terminate the treaty if need be, and to influence anything arising from it.

Any decision by Gibraltar to terminate the treaty would be put to a referendum.

Yesterday, those demonstrating said they were worried that the treaty handed roles to Spanish police on issues such as Schengen immigration controls on people arriving in Gibraltar, and on visas and residence permits.

They feared too the impact of the transaction tax on Gibraltar’s economy and businesses.

They believed the treaty should be put to a referendum before it was ratified, something that has been ruled out, and that the text should include a clause allowing Gibraltar to terminate it.

That trigger for Gibraltar to end the agreement, Parliament was told this week, would be set out in the concordat with the UK because of its constitutional relationship with Gibraltar and the fact it was the UK that was signing the agreement on Gibraltar’s behalf.

One demonstrator acknowledged that a ‘no deal’ would be negative to Gibraltar but said he wanted “a better treaty” or “a Plan B”.

“There are some things in this agreement that I cannot accept,” he said, highlighting the role of Spanish police was initially to be carried out by Frontex officers.

“I’m passionate about Gibraltar and I’m against this treaty.”

In Convent Place, the demonstrators spoke to the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, who stepped out of The Convent to offer reassurance that the treaty would have no impact on Gibraltar’s British sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Some in the demonstration were disappointed with the turnout, which the Royal Gibraltar Police estimated at around 100 people.

“I’m sad because our forefathers fought for less than what we are fighting for today,” one protestor said.

“But we’ve made our voices heard.”