GSD says protest shows ‘growing disconnect’ between Govt and the public

The GSD called on the Gibraltar Government to deal with the “real grievances” people have following the ‘Open Your Eyes’ demonstration earlier this week.

The demonstration saw protesters march from Casemates to No 6 Convent Place to air their concerns over Government measures.

The Opposition said the protest showed there is a “growing disconnect of Government with people on a number of issues.”

The GSD added, the Government “should concentrate on solving the issues raised by concerned citizens and not seek to react so defensively to what was, ultimately, a simple act of freedom of expression by all concerned.”

In a press statement, the GSD said those taking part were just concerned citizens, and not spin doctors, who do not like the direction of travel under the Government.

“As a democrat the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo should be less obsessed about who attends public demonstrations or on raising red herrings and more interested in dealing with the real grievances people have,” the Opposition said.

“There may have been many complaints and banners but the overarching message is that people are not stupid and that they are tired of measures suddenly introduced by the Government that were not in their manifesto but which affect the lives of people, using Covid-19 or the environment as an excuse.”

The GSD labelled some of these measures as “pure money grabbing”, adding that over many years the Government “has spent and borrowed like no other.”

“No amount of referring to what happened 10 or 20 years ago can deflect from that,” the GSD said.

The Opposition said it was “peculiar” that the Government was taking swipes at members of political parties who attended to show solidarity and to talk to those affected by the various issues.

“Does Mr Picardo not remember the numerous demonstrations he and his GSLP colleagues supported when he was in the Opposition,” the GSD said.

“Are they that disconnected from reality?”