Spanish patriots 'steal'
Gibraltar reef block from British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!
http://www.worldbulletin.net/europe/139771/spanish-patriots-steal-gibraltar-reef-block
http://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/cadiz/20140630/sevi-hormigon-gibraltar-pescadores-201406301150.html
Government reports concrete block stolen from BGTW
GBC
The Government has reported a concrete block as stolen to the Royal Gibraltar Police. The report of theft follows the moving of a concrete block that was sunk in British Gibraltar Territorial waters, from the western side of the Rock into Spanish waters.
A group for the defence of the Spanish Nation, La Fundacion de Denaes has taken the credit, saying it’s done what the Spanish Government was unable to do.
Around seventy concrete blocks were laid last July by the Government of Gibraltar, to form a reef, with the aim of regenerating marine life - but one of those blocks has now been moved into Spanish waters.
The operation took place on Friday night. The block was moved by divers using a system of balloons and with the help of a Spanish fishing boat which helped drag it to Spanish waters.
Spanish press reports say the group, Denaes, was intending to lift the block out of the water this morning but was stopped by the Guardia Civil. According to group the Civil Guards halted the last stage of the operation which would have been to put the block into a lorry and said they had to wait until a court decided what to do with it.
The former Patron of the La Linea fishing Guild, Leoncio Fernandez, has confirmed that he witnessed the operation and says the block has been dragged to San Roque over the past 3 days.
The Spanish Group are below in a photo they put on TWITTER! This is what has caused the involvement of the RGP and the Guardia Civil!
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A Spanish Activist Group Has Taken One Of The Reefs Placed by the Gibraltar Government Out of British Waters and Into Spanish Waters, La Fundación Denaes de Defensa de la Nación Española ( The Foundation Denaes In Defence of The Spanish Nation ) Had Started Preparation Since Friday.
The process began, explained by sources Denaes, last Friday night. With a system they were using - balloons to lift and drag it to fishing waters of a Spanish seawall. This Monday morning the intention was to upload it to the surface, but agents of the Guardia Civil have stopped them and they could not continue.
"We have been told to wait for a clerk to decide what to do with the concrete slab. Currently in the water's at the Area of Malecon in Spanish Water's "explains Santiago Abascal, leading Denaes and Vox. Initially, the policemen were in favor of raising the blocks, but their superiors have forced them to wait for a judge to decide.
Mean While The Royal Navy Vessel HMS Sabre And RGP Vessel Are at the scene, Guarding the area, The Royal Navy States that it does not constitute a threat to the Sovereignty of British Water's, However Damage Or Theft of Property is an issue.....
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*****Press Release*****
FCO spokesperson:
We have received reports that a activist group called the Foundation for the Defense of the Spanish Nation have claimed responsibility for lifting part of an artificial reef from an area within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The reef, formed of around 70 concrete blocks, was laid last July by the Government of Gibraltar to regenerate marine life in the area. The removal of a concrete block is an individual act of vandalism. It is not a violation of British sovereignty. The Royal Gibraltar Police have constitutional competence for upholding the law in Gibraltar.
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Spanish Press releases on incident
At least the Mayor of Algeciras comes out publicly stating
that this Spanish Group did wrong!
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Concrete block incident exposes serious security vulnerability - http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=12057&offset=0
by Leo Olivero
The shocking news that one of the 70 controversial concrete blocks dropped into the sea last summer as part of the Government’s artificial reef project was dragged over the weekend into Spanish waters under the noses of all Gibraltar Security Agencies, is a serious matter that demands a full investigation.
I say investigation, not so much because of the stolen concrete block, but because it happened apparently over three nights. And in front of the local security agencies with their array of modern sophisticated equipment and assets costing millions. You would think under these circumstances, it would be virtually impossible for a bunch of Spanish pirates and a well-known fishing boat to spend 3-nights executing a simple plan to slowly take one of these blocks into Spanish waters for a keeps-sake!
Taking into consideration that the reef is positioned metres from the end of the airport runway and not far from the western shoreline, how did these people go undetected by the RGP, GDP, Royal Navy and Navy Ops at Windmill Hill Signal Station - was it one of those rare and never heard of weekends off for everyone.
If it wasn’t so serious, it would be a joke, or a script from a ‘carry on movie!’
Gibraltar Vulnerable
When the news broke yesterday, initially some people thought it was a prank by one of these idiot Spanish nationalist groups of which there are many, but as the seriousness of the incident sank in thoughts turned to the security aspect, and how vulnerable Gibraltar REALLY is right now, when these people can actually implement such a daring plan totally undetected!
If the full extent of Spanish reports, regarding the incident are to be believed, the Spanish group in question, with the help of a fishing boat dragged the concrete block thousands of metres over a period of 3 nights (starting last Friday) into Spanish territorial waters unchallenged.
As I have said, in this day and age, especially in these tense times that we live, this incident is astounding and a monumental act of security negligence of the highest order.
The authorities, we are informed, have already considered or classified the incident as an act of vandalism, not a violation of British sovereignty.
Why is this incident not a violation of British Sovereignty? Why have the authorities been so quick to point out? Not I hope because the Spanish press have highlighted that a Spanish activist group and a fishing vessel took part in the 3-day operation and no one else!
And why has political involvement been ruled out already? Any involvement by anything political be it the Spanish government or anyone else cannot be ruled out just like that? The Spanish group involved is political per-se?
What kind of an investigation have those in London conducted or anyone here in Gibraltar to be able to deduce already, that this is not a serious sovereignty related issue, but a prank-like act by private individuals. I am not convinced in the least!
So I suspect that now that this incident has been classified as an act of ‘vandalism’ not a politically motivated one the FCO with their strong contacts in Madrid will now seek the return of the concrete block in question, not because it has a value, but as a matter of PRINCIPLE! WE WANT OUR BLOCK BACK!
However, my biggest concern I say again is with Security, or the lack of it!
Just where are Gibraltar’s Security agencies when you really need them?
According to Spanish reports, the operation to remove the concrete block began last Friday night, using balloons to lift the block and then drag the 3-ton lump into Spanish waters, with the ultimate intention of bringing it to the surface. Where reports suggest the Guardia Civil stopped the process from happening, which if true was very civil of the GC crew. Although I am yet to be convinced of this, the fact remains that the concrete block is in Spanish waters and in their possession.
However, after such a massive breach of security over a period of 3 days/nights although it could have been 3 months for all intents and purposes, it was later reported that the Royal Navy, HMS Sabre and RGP Vessels were at or near the scene. Guarding the area, God knows what they were guarding, probably counting if any more blocks were missing?
The monitoring of vessel movements in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) has become a concern with the public. This was all the more alarming considering the present situation with the on-going fishing/sovereignty dispute, particularly, the continuous incursions by the Guardia Civil (GC).
There is a growing unease as a result of the number of incidents in BGTW that have gone undetected and of Spanish fishing vessels fishing practically at will, with no approaches or intervention from the local enforcement agencies. ..which may have led to the fishing vessel involved in this incident, having had all the time it needed to make out, or pretend it was fishing when it was actually assisting in the commission of an offence in BGTW.
If the people of Gibraltar cannot sleep at night because of their concerns relating to security and of the possibility of radical groups of Spaniards or anyone else, coming into BGTW or anywhere else to take away concrete blocks or plant an incendiary device or any other bomb, then why are our security people there at all!
GIBRALTAR’S SECURITY HAS BEEN EXPOSED…WE NOW NEED ANSWERS AND NOT EXCUSES!
01-06-14 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
**************************************************************
by Leo Olivero
The shocking news that one of the 70 controversial concrete blocks dropped into the sea last summer as part of the Government’s artificial reef project was dragged over the weekend into Spanish waters under the noses of all Gibraltar Security Agencies, is a serious matter that demands a full investigation.
I say investigation, not so much because of the stolen concrete block, but because it happened apparently over three nights. And in front of the local security agencies with their array of modern sophisticated equipment and assets costing millions. You would think under these circumstances, it would be virtually impossible for a bunch of Spanish pirates and a well-known fishing boat to spend 3-nights executing a simple plan to slowly take one of these blocks into Spanish waters for a keeps-sake!
Taking into consideration that the reef is positioned metres from the end of the airport runway and not far from the western shoreline, how did these people go undetected by the RGP, GDP, Royal Navy and Navy Ops at Windmill Hill Signal Station - was it one of those rare and never heard of weekends off for everyone.
If it wasn’t so serious, it would be a joke, or a script from a ‘carry on movie!’
Gibraltar Vulnerable
When the news broke yesterday, initially some people thought it was a prank by one of these idiot Spanish nationalist groups of which there are many, but as the seriousness of the incident sank in thoughts turned to the security aspect, and how vulnerable Gibraltar REALLY is right now, when these people can actually implement such a daring plan totally undetected!
If the full extent of Spanish reports, regarding the incident are to be believed, the Spanish group in question, with the help of a fishing boat dragged the concrete block thousands of metres over a period of 3 nights (starting last Friday) into Spanish territorial waters unchallenged.
As I have said, in this day and age, especially in these tense times that we live, this incident is astounding and a monumental act of security negligence of the highest order.
The authorities, we are informed, have already considered or classified the incident as an act of vandalism, not a violation of British sovereignty.
Why is this incident not a violation of British Sovereignty? Why have the authorities been so quick to point out? Not I hope because the Spanish press have highlighted that a Spanish activist group and a fishing vessel took part in the 3-day operation and no one else!
And why has political involvement been ruled out already? Any involvement by anything political be it the Spanish government or anyone else cannot be ruled out just like that? The Spanish group involved is political per-se?
What kind of an investigation have those in London conducted or anyone here in Gibraltar to be able to deduce already, that this is not a serious sovereignty related issue, but a prank-like act by private individuals. I am not convinced in the least!
So I suspect that now that this incident has been classified as an act of ‘vandalism’ not a politically motivated one the FCO with their strong contacts in Madrid will now seek the return of the concrete block in question, not because it has a value, but as a matter of PRINCIPLE! WE WANT OUR BLOCK BACK!
However, my biggest concern I say again is with Security, or the lack of it!
Just where are Gibraltar’s Security agencies when you really need them?
According to Spanish reports, the operation to remove the concrete block began last Friday night, using balloons to lift the block and then drag the 3-ton lump into Spanish waters, with the ultimate intention of bringing it to the surface. Where reports suggest the Guardia Civil stopped the process from happening, which if true was very civil of the GC crew. Although I am yet to be convinced of this, the fact remains that the concrete block is in Spanish waters and in their possession.
However, after such a massive breach of security over a period of 3 days/nights although it could have been 3 months for all intents and purposes, it was later reported that the Royal Navy, HMS Sabre and RGP Vessels were at or near the scene. Guarding the area, God knows what they were guarding, probably counting if any more blocks were missing?
The monitoring of vessel movements in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) has become a concern with the public. This was all the more alarming considering the present situation with the on-going fishing/sovereignty dispute, particularly, the continuous incursions by the Guardia Civil (GC).
There is a growing unease as a result of the number of incidents in BGTW that have gone undetected and of Spanish fishing vessels fishing practically at will, with no approaches or intervention from the local enforcement agencies. ..which may have led to the fishing vessel involved in this incident, having had all the time it needed to make out, or pretend it was fishing when it was actually assisting in the commission of an offence in BGTW.
If the people of Gibraltar cannot sleep at night because of their concerns relating to security and of the possibility of radical groups of Spaniards or anyone else, coming into BGTW or anywhere else to take away concrete blocks or plant an incendiary device or any other bomb, then why are our security people there at all!
GIBRALTAR’S SECURITY HAS BEEN EXPOSED…WE NOW NEED ANSWERS AND NOT EXCUSES!
01-06-14 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
**************************************************************
Spain has the audacity to call us the Defenders of Gibraltar
extremist for campaigning against Spain getting a Seat on the Security Council.
But who could trust a Government that bullies a small Country like Gibraltar
with 30,000 people?
Spain does not deserve to get a seat just for their inhumane
actions at the border, for promoting a hate campaign against Gibraltar and its
people and for the constant incursions in our British Gibraltar Territorial
Waters!
The worst about this incident is the fact that it just shows how weak UK are in protecting our waters! Let us remember that under our Gibraltar Constitution it is Our Governor who is responsible for Security and Foreign affairs!
So it is totally unacceptable that the Foreign Office try to belittle what has happened as this was a big security breach if ever I saw one!
The fact is that what they have done is deemed an act of terrorism not vandalism!
Anne-Marie Struggles
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