Spain continues to DEFY British Gibraltar Territorial Waters despite the protests.

Despite Protests - Spain continues to Defy Our British Gibraltar Territorial Waters

Once again the incursions continue adding more insult to injury. What is UK going to do about it? Wake up FCO you really need to get a grasp on all these incursions before we have a death! We will hold you accountable!

30/06/13 - Photos courtesy of Trevor Bickerstaff.

Spanish Customs in British waters right now Royal navy Was in the area and returned to base allowing Sva to Roam freely and is not Innocent passage, Royal Navy has not done anything.........Sva Traveled at slow speed on a close up SVA officer is observing the MoD base, it turns at a slow pace then slowly heads back to Algeciras..... What was the SVA doing? Observing Base and maybe looking for an easy target maybe a jet ski or pleasure boat....... Come on David Cameron get off your back side and do something before another person gets shot at......

 




 Our Royal Navy - doing nothing! What a SURPRISE!




 Were the Spanish scared? Nope look how they come back






 So much for the power of DIPLOMACY from UK and FCO!

 Watch how blatantly obvious that they are in our waters!




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One avid supporter wrote on our Defenders of Gibraltar

Almost everyone in Gib.is constantly asking for something to be done by the UK mostly in military terms,but why doesn't Cameron threaten the Spanish with stopping the so called Spanish Pensions.The UK is spending some millions in paying these pensions which here in Gib. have always been questioned with regards to their legality.These pensions were given to Spaniards who worked here prior to the closure of the border in 1969.They were granted by the UK under Cordoba,in return for good neighbourly relations in general,especially from the Spanish side.Fluidity at the frontier was stressed,and I suppose that incursions cannot be tolerated under this agreement.As we all know,Spain is breaking this agreement on a daily basis,but funny enough,the UK is in breach of this as well,by accepting Spain's failure to keep up with what was agreed in Cordoba.
I have written a similar comment on Mail Online yesterday.

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 Below is another link of the video of the dshooting from the ARMED GUARDIA CIVIL TO A JETSKI USER!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYH6KIe1ET0

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 So all in all no matter the ten thousand signatures we collected from the people of Gibraltar, no matter the demonstrations, no matter the 48 hour VIGIL in February and worse still no matter the constant incursions, no matter the arresting of our own in their boats in our waters like pirates and then the shootsing and now the incident above - what the heck has the Foreign Commonwealth Office done? NOTHING but words!

We have a saying words get lost with the wind! Words without action accomplish nothing!

SO about time David Cameron, William Hague and David Lidington wake up to the reality before we have to mourn a death at sea!

You all promised with so many replies to SPANISH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS this would end! Well how do  you feel when you see the words have gone when the sun does not even shine!

Imagine how we feel - imagine if this were happening in your waters by DOVER! Imagine it happening in Falklands again cos that is the example the Argentinean will follow!

Stop doing nothing and put action with your words!

Anne-Marie

UK Reaction To Guardia Civil SHootings in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters

UK Reaction To Guardia Civil Shootings in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters

It is about time that the UK Media actually covered the problems in Gibraltar caused by the ARMED paramilitary Guardia Civils in Gibraltar.

It is a disgrace that we have had to wait for a shooting at a jetski user to be able to attract this coverage. Remember that no one in any place in the world would put up with this kind of behaviour from another country's armed personnel!

Spain continues to LIE and DENY but thank goodness We have video footage to prove it! SPAIN should stop lying and admit it as the whole world can see the truth!

See below the link to the TRUTH that SPANISH ARMED GUARDIA CIVILS ENTERED OUR BRITISH GIBRALTAR TERRITORIAL WATERS AND SHOT FOUR SHOTS TO THE JET SKI USER!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gJW0cX-RkA

Spain is part of NATO and in the European Union and yet not only does daily incursions in OUR WATERS - but worse actually shoot at innocent jetski users!

What next? 
Do we sit idly by and wait till a death happens? 
What is our UK Government doing? 
What is FCO doing? 
WHAT is European Union going to do? 
What is United Nations going to do?

Please from whatever country you read our predicament - help and support us!
Lobby with us to UK Parliament, European Parliament and United Nations! 
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What adds more insult to injury is that despite our protests to UK Government, Our Majesty the Queen and even to the FCO - Spain continue to invade our waters! - 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2348844/Spanish-police-make-SECOND-incursion-British-waters-Gibraltar.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490


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Sky news reported
http://news.sky.com/story/1108323/gibraltar-jetski-shooting-uk-protests-to-spain

A diplomatic row has broken out after a Spanish police patrol boat apparently fired shots at a British jetskier off Gibraltar.

Minister for Europe David Lidington said he had protested to Spain after the Guardia Civil boat reportedly made an "illegal incursion" into Gibraltar's territorial waters.
The jetskier said he was left "shaken" by the shooting.
"There were three policemen on the boat and I actually saw one of them with a gun in his hand," Dale Villa, 32, told English language news website the Olive Press.

"I was just about to drop my friend off at West Beach when I heard the first shot. I don't really think we took it seriously or believed it could be a gun, but clearly it was.
"Anyway I jumped back on again and whizzed off before realising the boat was chasing after me and had soon fired three more shots at me.
"I was very shaken and furious. When a huge boat is hurtling after you and you hear gunshots it is very scary."
Onlookers claimed to have seen large rubber or plastic baton rounds being fired from the Guardia Civil boat and splashing into the water.
In a statement, Mr Lidington said: "I spoke today with Spanish minister for the European Union, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, in order to protest in the strongest terms following an incident on Sunday in British Gibraltar territorial waters.
"During an illegal incursion by a Guardia Civil vessel, a Guardia Civil officer fired a weapon. I made clear that the discharge of a weapon in or near Gibraltar is completely unacceptable.
"I urged Senor Mendez de Vigo to investigate urgently and to take action to ensure that this will not happen again."

A Guardia boat like the one from which shots were fired pic: David Merrett

Mr Lidington said he has also instructed the British charge d'affaires in Madrid to protest in person to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to demand a full explanation.
Gibraltar has been a British colony since 1713, but Spain publicly disputes Gibraltar's sovereignty and insists it has the right to fish in Gibraltan waters.
The confrontation is the latest skirmish between Britain and Spain involving the territory.
In May 2012, four police vessels and Royal Navy patrol boat intercepted a Spanish trawler which was fishing off the rock after it ignored warnings to stop.
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More Press Coverage - 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2349259/Wheres-Nelson-need-As-Spanish-British-jet-skier-Gibraltar-man-armada-sails-broadside.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2350760/David-Cameron-confronts-Spanish-PM-shots-fired-British-waters-Gibraltar.html

http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2013/06/24/gib-jet-ski-shooting/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23103010

http://en.mercopress.com/2013/06/25/foreign-office-protests-to-spain-chase-and-shooting-incident-in-gibraltar-waters

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130627/gibraltar-protests-cameron-spain-shooting-row

 http://www.thelocal.es/20130627/spain-shuns-gibraltar-jet-ski-shooting-claims

http://www.gbc.gi/news/1948/picardo-writes-to-cameron-about-guardia-civil-shooting

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10148722/Cameron-demands-inquiry-over-unacceptable-jet-ski-shooting-incident.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10142278/Spanish-Guardia-Civil-fires-at-a-jet-skier-off-Gibraltar.html




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The Vox reports: http://vox.gi/index.php?news=7523

SKIJET SHOOTING AND FURTHER INCURSIONS SPARK INTERNATIONAL ROW

By Vox Editor 23 hours 42 minutes ago   This article has been read 839 times.

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Cameron: "I think it’s very important the people of Gibraltar know that we support them, we support their sovereignty."

David Cameron today confronted the Spanish Prime Minister over ‘unacceptable’ threats made to Gibraltar after shots were fired at a jet-skier, according to the Mail on line.
The Mail website says that Cameron ‘warned Mariano Rajoy that he would not tolerate breaches of international law.’
The row comes after two more incursions – reported by VOX (as photo shows) - were made on the two consecutive days that followed Lidington’s protest
The Mail on line says that’ David Cameron  confronted his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy at a summit in Brussels over Spanish police entering British waters and firing shots at a jet ski
‘Mr Cameron used a meeting in Brussels to censure Mr Rajoy, as tensions between Spain and the UK have escalated.
 ‘Speaking at a press conference in Brussels today, Mr Cameron said: “I have raised this with the Spanish Prime minister. I think this is a totally unacceptable episode and I made that clear. I think it’s very important the people of Gibraltar know that we support them, we support their sovereignty, we will always stand up for them and stand by them. I think it’s very important countries obey all the international rules, all the international laws.”’

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Press TV reports - http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/25/310828/spat/

Gibraltar shooting incident sparks diplomatic spat between UK & Spain

Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:37PM GMT

8

The UK government has described as “illegal incursion” the entrance by a Spanish Guardia Civil vessel into British territorial waters around Gibraltar, local media reported.

The incident is said to have happened on Sunday when the Guardia Civil vessel strayed into the territorial waters and an officer onboard the vessel fired a weapon.

In a statement, Europe Minister David Lidington, strongly condemned the incident, saying that he had sought assurance from his Spanish counterpart that action would be taken to ensure there was no repeat of the incident.

"I spoke today with Spanish minister for the European Union, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, in order to protest in the strongest terms following an incident on June 23 in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). During an illegal incursion by a Guardia Civil vessel, a Guardia Civil officer fired a weapon," he said.

"I made clear that the discharge of a weapon in or near Gibraltar is completely unacceptable. I urged Senor Mendez de Vigo to investigate urgently and to take action to ensure that this will not happen again."

Britain and Spain are at loggerheads over which country has sovereignty over the island that has been occupied and claimed by the UK government. Britain considers Gibraltar and the Malvinas Islands, off Argentina as its territory, but the claims are not recognized by both Spanish and Argentines.

Lidington said he also instructed the British charge d'affaires in Madrid to protest in person to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to demand a full explanation.

The incident is understood to have involved a chase by the Guardia Civil vessel which pursed a Gibraltarian jet ski into British Gibraltar territorial waters.

MOL/HE

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The Gibraltar Chronicle reports - http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=29872

Cameron corners Rajoy over waters incursions

by Brian Reyes

British Prime Minister David Cameron has confronted Mariano Rajoy and demanded an explanation for Sunday’s “illegal incursion” into British Gibraltar territorial waters.
Mr Cameron expressed his anger at the incident in clear terms and said Britain stood firmly behind Gibraltar in defence of its sovereignty.
At a press conference yesterday, Mr Cameron said he wanted to make sure a full investigation took place and said it was important that countries followed international law.
“I did raise this with the Spanish Prime Minister,” he said. “I think this is a totally unacceptable episode and I made that clear.”
 
“I think it is very important that people on Gibraltar know that we support them, we support their sovereignty.”
Mr Cameron protested to the Spanish Prime Minister after a Guardia Civil officer fired a weapon while chasing a local jet skier in British waters.
British sources said Mr Cameron “made a beeline” for Sr Rajoy soon after arriving at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. Spain has repeatedly denied that any shots were fired in British waters but eyewitness accounts and video footage filmed by onlookers contradict that claim.
“We need to find out more about what happened but from what I have heard... it is not acceptable,” Mr Cameron added.


LOCAL REACTIONS
The Prime Minister’s intervention took place almost at the same time as Gibraltar’s elected MPs expressed unanimous support in the Gibraltar Parliament for a motion calling for a tougher response from Britain to the Spanish incursions.
News of Mr Cameron’s exchange with Sr Rajoy was welcomed in Gibraltar yesterday.
“I wrote to the Prime Minister on Wednesday and my letter was as clear and unequivocal as the motion on this subject which I proposed and that was unanimously passed by Parliament yesterday,” Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said.
“Less than a fortnight ago I spoke to Mr Cameron during my visit to Downing Street about illegal incursions.”
“The Prime Minister has been true to his word and, even as we debated the motion in Parliament yesterday, he was acting in support of his staunch commitment to the integrity of British sovereignty of the waters around Gibraltar.”
“The people of Gibraltar will join with me in thanking him for taking this issue directly and immediately, at the very highest level, to the Spanish Prime Minister.”
“The issue now is about supporting the Royal Navy’s Gibraltar Squadron, the Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Defence Police in preventing a recurrence of these illegal incursions which have been ongoing since 2010.”


OPPOSITION
Opposition leader Daniel Feetham also welcomed the Prime Minister’s words but said the UK needed to treat incursions in Gibraltar waters in the same manner as if they were happening off Plymouth.
He said the UK should deploy a larger naval vessel to Gibraltar to act as a deterrent, adding that “…a policy of protest will not work if it is not backed up by firmer action.”
“No one wants to see gun boat diplomacy but these are British people who are being threatened in British Territorial Waters,” he said.
“I said in Parliament that despite the work done by the RGP, the GDP and the Boat Squadron, the Royal Navy is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of our waters.”
“This cannot be done effectively with the assets at the disposal of the Boat Squadron.”
“The GDP and the RGP in particular are a thin blue line in our waters doing what they can in very difficult and trying circumstances.”

SPANISH DENIAL
Yesterday a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior, which is responsible for the Guardia Civil, once again “categorically” denied that its officers had shot at the jet ski.
The spokesman told the Spanish news service Europa Press that Mr Picardo had accused Spain “…without any basis or demonstrable facts of the standard that must be required of political institutions.”
In fact, the first complaint against Spain was made by British Europe Minister David Lidington, not by Mr Picardo.
Mr Lidington berated his Spanish counterpart, Íñigo Mendez de Vigo, in person at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the day after the shooting.
Prior to that, UK officials – together with Gibraltar police and British military personnel - in the UK and Gibraltar had closely analysed witness statements and video footage of the incident.
Some of the footage – which was taken by onlookers from at least three different angles – clearly shows the incident unfolding in British waters.
At least four shots can be heard.
“The eyewitness accounts and video footage leave no doubt as to what happened on Sunday,” one source said.
Three senior sources have also told the Chronicle that the Guardia Civil crew confirmed the incident to the Royal Gibraltar Police in a radio exchange shortly after it was over.
The RGP has declined to comment on this.

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Come on people be brave and support us to stand up to the BULLY that SPAIN is!

Anne-Marie Struggles

We need to stop shootings happening IN British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

 

We need to stop shootings happening IN British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

We the Defenders of Gibraltar have been actively busy since last year trying to get the UK Government and Foreign Commonwealth Office to do their duty and protect our waters!

We have done a lot of activity behind hte scenes and in public to get our voice heard. Not an easy task especially when dealing with UK who is too busy to appease Spain and not see the dangers.

We have written many letters, we have asked, pleaded, demanded and even begged for action as all we were getting was words!

Despite all our hard work and determination we have been falling on DEAF ears! So now what we were trying to avoid has happened! So let us now not wait for a death to happen at sea as we the people of GIBRALTAR will hold UK Government and the FCO accountable!

How dare you ignore our plight for so long! How dare you just continue to appease Spain at the expense of our safety and security! Everyone in the whole world knows that no one should allow a bully to get their way! The more you allow the more daring tactics they will try to push the boundaries even further!

Gibraltar and its people have been loyal and British for over 300 years! You have not sttod with us when we have needed you will you now step up your defense or wait until one of our people are severly injured or worse killed at sea!

At least finally the UK press is covering the incident and is now showing key interest to our plight - which before we have not been important news!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2348272/Spanish-police-shots-British-jet-skier-Gibraltar-UK-government-condemn-completely-unacceptable-use-force-British-waters.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23044236

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/uk-protests-after-jetskier-fired-at-in-gibraltar-waters-8673741.html

http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=23289

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/10142230/Britain-protests-to-Spain-after-jet-skier-shot-at-off-Gibraltar.html

 http://vox.gi/local/7486-man-involved-in-shooting-incident-speaks-out.html

http://www.panorama.gi/

http://vox.gi/local/7485-jet-ski-incident-appears-to-be-a-very-serious-matter-says-govt.html

http://vox.gi/index.php?news=7494

 http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=29797

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/25/gibraltar-shooting-spain-britain_n_3497034.html


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Finally today for once we have proper protection in our waters as below: BUT SHAME ON YOU IN UK GOVERNMENT AND FCO for leaving it so late!

Photos courtesy of Trevor Bickerstaff

Out in Full Force Today
Its Nice to see that the Royal Navy & Local Enforcement agencies were out in full force today, The Royal Navy Hms Sabre P285 Has been in the bay all morning with RN Rhib patrolling our water's, Also Sir William Jackson and RGP Interceptor.....
Well Done boys But keep your Presence up, Don't Slack.........

 

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Although some action today to protect our waters i am but disheartened that it has taken an incident like this that could have gone so wrong to get all those who should defend us to actually get their act together and do their job!

We were all very lucky that this did not happen when there was the 10 year child on the jet ski.

So now I urge every citizen in Gibraltar and all  Pressure groups in Gibraltar to stand up with the Defenders of Gibraltar and get our voices heard even more than before!

I also ask that all of you around the world that read this blog to please send all our information around to get others to join us in our stand against the bully that Spain is!

Finally I urge all you people who are in Nato, UN, EU etc to find the courage to finally stand up and speak out for us "The People OF Gibraltar"

We say again ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! HELP US GET OUR VOICE HEARD!

Anne-Marie Struggles

Guardia Civil shoots at Gibraltarians on a Jet SKI in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

Guardia Civil shoots at Gibraltarians on a Jet SKI in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters!

Well it happened what we have been warning everyone in UK, FCO, UN and even the EU. We have been pressuring to no avail - collected 10,000 signatures which is a 1/3 of our population and yet nothing!

The United Kingdom Government continue to ignore us and ignore the dangers we keep raising about the Spanish Para Military - Armed Guardia Civils in our waters - our British Territorial Waters! We have been demanding, asking and begging for UK to stop appeasing to Spain - we have had hundreds of diplomatic messages sent to Madrid! For what? NOTHING!

We have targeted our own Governor who represents our Majesty the Queen and to no avail - only words and more words! 

We have targeted our FCO - for what? NOTHING! FCO are controlling our Police to do no action just calling for RESTRAINT! 

I keep saying it over and over again - I and we the people of Gibraltar will hold you all accountable for any death or injury caused at sea by any SPANISH armed Guardia CIVIL! This is no joke - these Guardia Civil are para militaries and all the diplomatic protest have done nothing but just encourage the bully that Spain is to challenge the integrity of our British Territorial Waters even more!

History tells you a bully must be stopped - ignoring it does not make it go away! You have the history of the Falklands Islands as proof!

We now urge everyone from everywhere to join forces and support us! - email the United Nations, European Union, the UK government, The Foreign Commonwealth Office yes even our Governor in Gibraltar! Doing nothing = nothing changes!

We have a lot of support and now we need real warriors to stand with us and for us before we have a death at sea! Read the latest incident!
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On 24th June the Defenders of Gibraltar met with the individual who was fired upon by the Guardia Civil whilst on a Jet Ski in BGTW, in order to find out more about the incident and to help pass on his thoughts and feelings to the UK Government. As a result, the following letter he dictated will be sent to UK Ministers by us.

The individual concerned wishes to remain anonymous.

"On 23rd June, I decided to spend the day at Western Beach and try out a new Jet ski I had purchased. I had been taking friends and family members on rides within BGTW on the said Jet Ski throughout the day. It was on one of these trips, when I was with a friend that I was fired upon at least 4 times by a Guardia Civil vessel within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters for no reason whatsoever.

During the journey in question, I left Western beach, always staying within the confines of British Waters, and hugging the coast. AT the entrance to the north mole, I turned around and made my way back to Western Beach. It was on the journey back, that my friend made me aware that a Guardia Civil vessel had turned around and begun to chase me. The vessel quickly caught up with me, where I could just about make out 3 individuals, one of whom was carrying a black weapon about a metre in length which was aimed towards our jet ski.

At this point, I was in fear for our safety and wanted to get back onto the beach away from the threat. Suddenly, shots were fired, and I had to perform evasive manouvres in order to avoid being an easy target for the person carrying the weapon, and also to avoid being run down by the substantially larger vessel. Somehow, after what I recall hearing at least 4 separate shots, I made it past the entrance into western beach, which lies at the end of the airport runway. Upon landing at the beach, I approached a Police Constable who reported the incident immediately to the Central Station. The Police Constable in question was willing to act as witness to me being on the Jet Ski all day taking friends and family for rides. The Guardia Civil also apparently confirmed to the Police that they had fired upon my Jet Ski. I understand the Police are running a full investigation on the matter and have complete confidence in their ability to do so, so on that I will not comment further.

I am very disappointed and distraught that this has happened to me, in what are supposed to be British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. I know this is not the first time this has occurred and quite honestly if nothing concrete is done to stop the Spanish Paramilitary, it will not be the last. I dread the day someone is injured out at sea in our waters because of the Guardia Civil. Not 10 minutes earlier I had a 10 year old girl on my Jet Ski – can you imagine the trauma she would have suffered if she had been on the Jet Ski at the time of the incident? Can you imagine if she had been injured? What exactly is it going to take for the UK to ensure this doesn’t happen?

I hope you understand the seriousness of this, I cannot stress how unsafe I feel out in our own waters."

This letter will be sent to William Hague, David Lidington, David Cameron, Fabian Picardo and Sir Adrian James John.

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Come on people everywhere you would not tolerate this - the time has come to stand up for us and with us!

People of Gibraltar more action is needed - we have to show enough is enough before someone dies or gets seriously injured! 

http://vox.gi/index.php?news=7474

 

Anne-Marie Struggles

Spanish Paramilitary continue their incursions in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters - despite FCO protests!

Spanish Paramilitary continue their incursions in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters - despite FCO protests!

Once again we have Spain beinf defiant and the FCO and UK government not helping us out! Instead they continue to send out the wrong messages!

How can it be acceptable behaviour from a neigbouring country who is in EU and in Nato to continue to bully and harass a smaller country only because they do not want to be SPANISH! The people of Gibraltar are the ones who choose their own future and yet UK shows no signs of waking up and defending us like they would for any incursions done in UK waters by say France!

What gives the UK the right to ignore and put us and our people in danger  our security at sea is put at risk as the Navy is turning a blind eye to protecting the integrity of our waters!

Below you have the information and the photo courtesy of Tommy Finlayson on the latest blatant incursions in our waters. Again I ask would you tolerate these incursions? Would you treat them as so called "innocent Passage"? I doubt that very much!

At 10.40 today 20 June 2013, not one but two Guardia Civil vessels at 150 metres off our moles. Rio Pas was navigating south at a very slow pace and Rio Cedena was travelling north and as can be seen Rio Cedena turned around and went alongside Rio Pas, both vessels coming to a complete halt. After approximately 3 minutes they both continued on the way.





 This incursion by two vessels was also captured on video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXficaDmupM&feature=youtu.be


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Spain seem set to try and stop our progress not only in the EU but now also in UEFA. They seem to find it difficult to accept us in anything we try to do or achieve!

REVEALED: Spain introduces sharp fees for friendly football, poised to affect Gibraltar

By Panorama
19.06.2013

In another move, said to be aimed at trying to stop Gibraltar's national team and clubs playing in Spain, the Spanish football federation have introduced sharp fees when at least a foreign team participates in matches or tournaments. It follows the cancellation at the weekend of a planned match between Cuba and Gibraltar.
Spanish press reports said the cancellation of the match, to have been played in Marbella, followed Spanish pressure. Cuban sources said it was 'truly strange'.
PANORAMA has now obtained a copy of a circular issued by the Spanish football federation about fees payable in friendly matches and tournaments.
Where at least a foreign national team plays, a fee of 9,000 euros per match is stipulated.
Furthermore, the Spanish say they can adopt other measures of an administrative, economic 'and in general any type of guarantee', with the view of 'protecting the interests of Spanish football.'
Since the new fees introduced should presumably also apply to others, apart from Gibraltar, it is being said that the Spanish are shooting themselves in the foot, as the ridiculous prices the Spanish federation are putting for playing friendlies, will most likely stop the number of foreign teams doing pre-season in Spain . It is said that already there are teams who are now changing country to play their pre-season matches.
The circular made available to us is dated last month.
Meanwhile, a Spanish press report yesterday said that the Gibraltar FA had wanted to have their new stadium ready for the 2016 Euro-Cup, with matches starting as early as next year, as this is not possible for Gibraltar, so 'home' matches would have to be played on foreign soil.
Until 2015 'the colony will not be able to play at home; Spain aims that that will be permanent,' said a Spanish headline, which shows the anti-Gibraltar feeling that evidently is being stirred up in certain circles in Spain.

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More info on the above - http://hereisthecity.com/2013/06/19/cf-gibraltar-and-spain-come-into-conflict-again/
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The new British ambassador to Spain Mr Simon Manley, sums up the FCO apathy towards our issues with Spain in three lines.

 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majestys-ambassador-to-spain

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 This pic I think shows clearly what we feel. Courtesy Gareth Gingell

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Below is the latest letter sent to Simon Hughes Liberal MP

Dear Mr Hughes,

Firstly I would like to apologise for sending you this email, as I know the following subject is not your territory but desperate times call for desperate measures.

My name is Sheridan Borda, and I am from Gibraltar, I have had the pleasure of meeting you a few times in Gibraltar.

The reason for my emailing you is as follows:
In 1999 Gibraltar and Spain were at war with the fishing dispute, this was followed by the fishermen from Algeciras coming down to the frontier between La Linea de la Concepcion and Gibraltar and blocking it, only letting the spanish workers come into Gibraltar, other people from other nationalities where not allowed through, by the end of the afternoon the Gibraltarians had, had enough, and decided not to let any spanish workers through our frontier into Spain. After that day the previous administration GSD (Peter Caruana to be exact) who were then in office, met with the fishermen and signed an agreement with them, without consulting the people of Gibraltar, Gibraltar stuck to the agreement that was signed, but Spain being Spain never respected that agreement.

In the GSLP/Libs manifiesto of 2011 they said that if they got into office they would terminate that agreement, as you will be aware the GSLP/Libs were elected into office on the 8th Dec 2011, in March 2012 the GSLP/Lib terminated the agreement signed in 1999 between the fishermen and the previous administration and that is when the dispute started all over again.

For over a year now the fishermen have been coming into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and when the Royal Gibraltar Police told them to leave our waters they left, only to come back, protected by the Guardia Civil, I would like to tell you Mr Hughes that the Guardia Civil (GC) are armed but our boys at the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) are not armed.

Now the Guardia Civil and Spanish Navy regularly keep coming in BGTW day in day out. The Royal Navy only gives them orders to leave, orders which like always fall on deaf ears, they completely ignore the Royal Navy's orders and they leave when they feel they have made a point. Please believe me when I say that the Guardia Civil are making a mockery of the Royal Navy, and all the Royal Navy can do is give orders, I understand that the Royal Navy's hands are tied, as they need orders from the Foreign Office, please forgive me for saying this but the foreign office are doing everything to placate Spain and not doing their job which it to protect is territories and their people.

As you are probably aware the Guardia Civil interfere with commercial and pleasure craft in BGTW, and have actually arrested couple of them and towed them into Algeciras.

Should this escalate any further we fear that a serious or fatal incident will occur. I have written to the MP William Hague and got a reply from Martin Wisdom saying that UK was monitoring the situation. I sent Mr Wisdom a number of emails and always had the same reply, "we are aware and we are monitoring the situation". I also sent an email to the PM David Cameron, I have received no reply from any one at number 10 not even to acknowledge my email, this was over a year ago, and still no reply.

I urge you Mr Hughes to please speak to Mr Hague or even to Nick Clegg as we desperately need UK to stand up to Spain once and for all.

I thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you in the not so distant future.

Yours sincerely

Sheridan Borda

 Local Representative for Defenders of Gibraltar

*********************

So as you can see we need to up our stand further so that the whole world can hear about how Spain continues to bully Gibraltar. IN this day and age this behaviour should not be tolerated!

No country just because they are bigger should be allowed to discriminate or harass people who wish to choose their own nationality and future! We have to speak out and show the proof to the world! We need the issues we are facing to be known so that others can help us and also learn not to tolerate any form of bullying just because that country is bigger!

We have a VOICE, CHOICE and a right to be protected and to live peacefully and our security is of paramount importance!

UK has a duty to the people of Gibraltar and we are saying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! No more appeasing to SPAIN and no more incursions by the SPANISH PARAMILITARY ARMED GUARDIA CIVILS IN OUR WATERS!

Anne-Marie Struggles

56 incursions in 30 days this is not good for Gibraltar!

56 incursions in 30 days - what is UK doing about it?

I have been quietly listening for over a week to different people to get a real feel of what people in Gibraltar think about the constant incursions by the Spanish para military in our British Territorial Waters.

I have been analysing the proof with the strength of feeling and then measuring that with action or rather the lack of action from our UK Government!

The lack of action from our UK Government and the Foreign Office has only made Spain go up another level in their blatant continous parading of our waters!

Yes we have had 56 incursions in 30 days. There is no doubt in my mind that this is totally unacceptable. We have as Defenders of Gibraltar written letters to Mr Cameron, Mr Lidington and Mr Hague and in fact even to Our Majesty the Queen to no avail!

Diplomacy and restraint is all that they call for - more diplomatic complaints to Spain and for what? NOTHING just more incursions. The latest complaint and due to the response from Mr Lidington actually made Spain more daring and led them to come into our waters but not the Guardia Civil this time but much more dangerous - the Spanish Warship!

The latest incursion by the Spanish warship ‘P64 Tarifa’ on Tuesday 11th June triggered another futile Foreign Office diplomatic protest after the Spanish vessel decided to spend a leisurely afternoon patrolling BGTW.

A serious incident you’d think, well no, particularly if you follow the present Foreign Office policy they apply to Spanish incursions into BGTW. You see, according to the diplomatic way of thinking in London there is no credible threat to Gibraltar’s security or defence by a Spanish warship as we saw Tuesday, or of any other vessel the Spanish government care to send into our waters which the Spaniards do to threaten and intimidate the people of Gibraltar, whilst at the same time chip away at the integrity of BGTW.

 *******

Below is the text of the letter of response that Defenders of Gibraltar did jointly with Voice of Gibraltar Group to apply more pressure to Mr Lidington as we found his response was weak and added insult to injury!

“Thank you for your letters of 4 May requesting a meeting and setting out your concerns following my letter of 29 April to the Voice of Gibraltar Group, and for your email of 2 June. I am happy to clarify my points and I am copying this letter to Mr Julio Pons in the interests of openness and transparency.

May I first underline that I welcome your letter. The UK Government’s approach to relations with Gibraltar is based on respect for the people of Gibraltar and a wish to work as closely as possible with HM Government of Gibraltar (HMGoG) to serve Gibraltar’s interests.

I recognise the strength of feeling in Gibraltar about unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) by Spanish State vessels. I attach the highest priority to the safety and liberty of all Gibraltarians. Indeed, the UK has responded firmly to incursions which have posed a risk to the safety of individuals. For example, when a Spanish Customs vessel sought to apprehend a Gibraltarian civilian boat in BGTW last November, we summoned the Spanish Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to ensure our displeasure was absolutely clear and communicated directly to Madrid.

The UK Government’s overarching commitment to ensure the security, prosperity and development of all the British Overseas Territories was set out in The Queen’s Speech in Parliament on 8 May. We take this commitment seriously and I do not rule out any measures that are necessary to defend Gibraltar from a genuine threat to its security or defence.

However, as I wrote in my letter to the Voice of Gibraltar Group, I do not believe that the unlawful incursions of the Guardia Civil present any credible threat to Gibraltar’s security or defence, or to British sovereignty over BGTW. While I recognise fully and sympathise with the anger felt by Gibraltarians when they witness these unacceptable and unlawful incursions, the response of the Royal Navy and our diplomatic pressure on Spain must be proportionate and must avoid increasing the risks to the safety of those involved in challenging these vessels.

I believe these incursions are a misguided and futile attempt by Spain to assert their long-standing legal position regarding the waters. However, even if the frequency has increased in recent months, Guardia Civil incursions cannot change international law as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Incursions will never change the fact that BGTW are rightfully British waters.

You ask who would have more to lose from escalation: the reality is that a move to retaliatory action would harm all parties but I am particularly concerned that Gibraltar would be most vulnerable. Increased or more aggressive incursions threaten the safety of individuals on the waters. I am concerned that a downward spiral could also threaten Gibraltar/Spain security cooperation. A decline in relations would also have a clear long-term opportunity cost in terms of preventing the sorts of cross-border and regional cooperation which could boost Gibraltar’s economy and help meet its security, environmental and resource challenges.

In delivering our commitment to uphold Gibraltar’s security, defence and external relations, the UK Government would not be acting responsibly if we did not weigh up these interests against the actual threat presented by the incursions. This is why we support the need for Spain to respect Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar’s work to find a route to resolve the fishing dispute and press for a return to the Trilateral Forum for Dialogue.

You ask whether the FCO was informed in advance of Judge Rosario Silva de Lapuerta’s appointment by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to hear two cases concerning Gibraltar. We were aware in advance that Mrs Silva de Lapuerta had been allocated to the Chamber dealing with the UK’s appeal. I wrote to the President of the Court shortly after we learned of this expressing concern that the Court’s impartiality could be called into question because Mrs Silva de Lapuerta had previously held a role in which she advised the Spanish Government on matters relating to Gibraltar. However, this was a matter for the Court to decide. The UK was not a Party to HMGoG’s separate appeal to the ECJ.

Finally, you ask for a meeting to discuss these issues. I will be pleased to meet representatives of both the Defenders of Gibraltar and the Voice of Gibraltar Group when I next visit Gibraltar. Please keep in touch with the Office of the Governor on this.”      
 ******* 

 To add more insult to injury as if it is not enough that Spain bully us at Sea with their incursions by their Navy and their para military Guardia Civil - they have targeted sport and children trips to spain.

From our newspaper we have this breaking news from Panorama

BREAKING NEWS: GFA v Cuba under-20 match cancelled

The Spanish Government is said to have blocked match between Cuba under 20 and Gibraltar under 19 football due in Marbella. This is due to Spanish pressure from Madrid , said Spanish reports, although other sources say this is due to sudden sharp increase in ticket prices for the friendly match.
Cuban sources quoted as saying that it was disappointing, 'truly strange'.
It is being recalled that Spain had threatened with placing obstacles to prevent the GFA playing on Spanish soil, due to Madrid being against Gibraltar's membership of UEFA.
17.06.2013

 On the 12th June

What is happening here - Spain targeting our schoolchildren now?

I have just been reliably informed that tour buses carrying pupils from St Marys School were stopped by the Guardia Civil at the Frontier and told:

" You either pay to go into Spain or you get a Spanish bus to your destination"

To make matters worse, a young group of boys traveling to Spain for training sessions in their own transport were also told they had to pay. So....the trip was cancelled.

THIS IS NOW UTTERLY RIDICULOUS

Whats the point of having the UK as the arbiters of our external affairs and security when they cant seem to make any tangible and permanent difference to the problems we face? What is the point of having declarations of Human Rights, freedom of movement and being allies in Europe and NATO when it is us who suffer the temperamental and immature whims of the plastic democratic government next door?

UK Wake up! Where is your courage and willingness to defend Gibraltar?

Does UK not care anymore?

 Well described picture below done to show how useless United Nations is but that we could even put UK government and EU in UN place. Food for thought - it is so long as it is not them it is ok!

  

Below is the full text that our Chief Minister did in his speech to UN

50 years asking the UN to defend our rights

*FULL TEXT of address to UN decolonisation committee by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo:
This is my second appearance before your Committee as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and I am accompanied by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Garcia.

Mr Chairman three hundred years ago next month, the Kingdom of Spain ceded Gibraltar to the United Kingdom under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 - I quote - “to be held and enjoyed absolutely with all manner of right for ever, without any exception or impediment whatsoever”.

That is an absolute cessation of a territory if ever there was one.

As many of you will know, the Treaty also prevented the presence of Jews and Moors in Gibraltar and banned trade with the adjoining areas of Spain.

Yet, no sooner was the ink dry on the parchment of Utrecht, than Spain was breaching the treaty by trying to recover Gibraltar by force and siege.

There are a number of commemorative events being planned in Gibraltar throughout the year, but we will not be celebrating a treaty which is anti-Semitic, racist and which purports to curtail our rights as a people.

Indeed, it is now fifty years since successive Chief Ministers of Gibraltar have been coming to this Committee asking you to defend our rights as a people in modern international law; under the terms of the UN Charter and the relevant decolonisation resolutions that create your Committee’s jurisdiction and engenders the “sacred trust” which requires you to act in defence of our wishes as a people.

Because it is clear to any international lawyer worth his salt from whom you might care to seek the most cursory opinion, that the clauses of a Treaty that was signed in 1713 cannot seriously be used in 2013 to restrict or curtail the right of the people of Gibraltar to determine their own future.

1713 was a time of cannon and bloodshed in Europe, when the concept of human rights did not exist and men and women were sold as slaves by kings and queens who could pass title to countries to each other at their whim.

But for the current Government of Spain, time seems to have stood still.

Only last month during the very successful seminar your committee held in Quito, Ecuador, the representative of Spain held her country up for international ridicule once again with shocking submissions symptomatic of the current Government’s compulsive blindness to the reality of modern Gibraltar and the Gibraltarians today.

Mrs Pedros-Carretero said that - and I unfortunately quote - “Spain does not and will never acknowledge any international legal status to the current inhabitants of Gibraltar nor will it ever accept their pretended right to dispose of the Rock.”

Such comments can have no place in the modern world.

This is eighteenth century language from a twenty first century democracy.

That may have made sense in 1713 or in the depths of the pre-democratic Spain of the 50s, 60s and 70s.

But today, remarks that deny the very existence of a people to whom you owe that “sacred trust” must be anathema to you, as they are to my countrymen and women and to the democratic governments of the whole world.

So I therefore take the opportunity of the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht to repeat the challenge made in this forum by other Chief Ministers of Gibraltar in the past half century.

I urge the Kingdom of Spain to test their pathetic and unsustainable political view in the International Court of Justice on all matters in dispute on the question of Gibraltar.

If they will again not do so, Mr Chairman, I urge this Committee, if necessary via the 4th Committee that you report to, to seek an Advisory Opinion on the matter.

Because, the relevant international law on this issue is as you know very clear and it entirely contradicts the Spanish position.

Gibraltar was included by the United Kingdom in 1946 in the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories and the international legal status of our nation remains unchanged since then.

That is why my colleague the Hon Joe Bossano, one of the most accomplished politicians in the field of the international law on self determination of colonial peoples, reminded you last month that Decolonisation Resolution 1514(XV) was fully applicable to Gibraltar.

This means that the only options open for Gibraltar’s decolonisation are either independence, free association, integration or the tailor-made solution provided for in resolution 2625(XXV) of 1970.

Those are the only options Mr Chairman.

There is no question of Gibraltar being handed over to Spain, as she seeks.

That is not an option.

There is no separate doctrine that arises simply when one state claims the sovereignty of a listed territory.

International jurisprudence on the issue is too developed to admit of such political nonsense being adopted as law, however often it is repeated.

For our part, Mr Chairman, the people of Gibraltar are clear in seeking to exercise the fourth option for decolonisation; the tailor made solution created by resolution 2625(XXV) of 1970.

Mr Chairman, in 2006 the people of Gibraltar accepted in a referendum our current Constitution which had been agreed with the United Kingdom by our then Government and Opposition.

Time and again we have asked this Committee to tell us whether this document, in their view, embodies the fullest possible measure of self-government short of independence which would allow for the decolonisation of Gibraltar and the change in our international legal status through our removal from your list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

This would then need to be specifically endorsed by the people of Gibraltar in exercise of their right to self-determination in a further referendum.

Yet we have had no answer to date.

You remain surprisingly mute on the issue.

Mr Chairman, with respect, we cannot have a situation where the people of the territory, whose wishes are meant to be sacrosanct, are effectively ignored and side-lined by this Committee.

This Committee exists to look after the interests of our nation; to pursue the wishes of the people I represent; to hold our hand in attaining our political aspirations.

It does not exist to pander to the territorial claims of neighbouring claimant, based on a 300 year old treaty that is gathering dust and which has long been overtaken by events.

That has been overtaken by the Charter of the United Nations, democratic principles and the rule of law.

And if there is any doubt, then Article 103 of the Charter itself clarifies beyond peradventure that “in the event of a conflict between the obligations of members of the United Nations under the Charter and their obligations under any other international agreement, their obligations under the Charter shall prevail.”

So that does for Utrecht, as for the now long dead bilateral process of dialogue known as the Brussels Process.

Because the doctrine of the United Nations and of the international community is that all peoples have the right to self-determination; and treaties that purport to interfere with that in any way are invalid in international law.

Successive Chief Ministers have repeatedly traced how that right applies to the people of Gibraltar in earlier addresses.

And you have yourselves in parts of your own UN website on decolonisation an explicit and helpful reference to your monitoring the situation in the remaining 16 territories, and WITHOUT EXCEPTION “working to facilitate the advance toward COMPLETE self-determination” of these 16 territories.

Clearly therefore the right of self determination is now at last recognised by you explicitly as being applicable to all the territories INCLUDING GIBRALTAR.

You have therefore decided the issue; whether Spain likes it or not.

You say it in writing on your website and therefore unless you explicitly say otherwise you are entirely clear in telling the world via the world wide web that this is your position.

And that there are therefore clear principles that govern how the decolonisation is to be handled – and there is not an ad hoc, state by state mechanism that you can shape to please Spain.

In that context, Mr Chairman, I am delighted to report to you that our Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen of Gibraltar, Queen Elizabeth II, told Parliament last month that the UK Government agrees with your position and will continue to defend the right to self-determination of the people of Gibraltar.

And I therefore assert to you today with absolute confidence that the future of Gibraltar will be decided only by the people of Gibraltar in the exercise of our inalienable right of political self determination.

Anybody who thinks otherwise should think again.

The die is cast: Gibraltar belongs to the Gibraltarians.

Lock, stock and barrel.

There is nonetheless a need for the Committee to move to recognising that inescapable reality and our primacy in this matter in your conclusions, not just your website, and not just repeat the same consensus decision on Gibraltar year after year.

Mr Chairman, the Secretary General of the United Nations told you on 21st February this year that the narrative of the work of this Committee cannot again be portrayed as “decolonisation deferred”.

The Government of Gibraltar agrees entirely with the Secretary General.

He and we join in urging you to start the process with us of completing self determination, as is stated on the UN website.

We cannot continue to come here again and again, year after year, and receive little or no feedback from the Committee.

You assist no-one with this dialogue of the deaf.

You advance nothing by your continued silence.

This important committee must steel itself and speak at last;

And you must act in the terms of what you have already set out online.

Your failure to speak or act or even have the courage to accept our repeated and hereby renewed invitations to visit us emboldens the bullies.

Mr Chairman, the current Government of Spain continues to display considerable hostility towards Gibraltar.

Since 2010 our territorial sea has been continually invaded by armed patrol boats of the Spanish state on the absurd premise that Gibraltar has no waters; a proposition which has no basis in international law or even in rational thought.

And the current Government of Spain continues to challenge our economic model, even when the rest of the world and the EU accepts it and it creates jobs for many Spanish citizens.

Moreover, our sporting associations continue to have to fight Spanish objections in order to be recognised internationally.

I am however delighted to tell you by way of information, Mr Chairman, that our football association has recently been admitted to UEFA after a lengthy legal battle resulting from Spain’s political and unsporting objections.

You see Mr Chairman, when the Gibraltar gets a fair and unbiased hearing, we win!

Game, set and match.

That is why we repeatedly challenge Spain to go to the international courts but she cowers away.

I also deeply regret that that the current Government of Spain has withdrawn from the Trilateral Forum of Dialogue where, together with the Governments of Gibraltar and of the United Kingdom, discussions between the three parties were progressing.

My Government remains strongly committed to the Trilateral Forum for Dialogue.

The UK has expressed identical strong commitment to that Forum.

Indeed, I go further Mr Chairman, I want to express my People’s solidarity with the people of Spain at this difficult economic time for them.

We already provide approximately 10,000 jobs for cross frontier workers who live in an area of Spain suffering 40% unemployment but have found work in Gibraltar.

We are keen to work with a Spanish Government that forgets its medieval obsession with the takeover of the sovereignty of our nation and is ready to exploit opportunities across our frontier for mutual human and commercial advantage - as we are already seeking to do with the friendlier municipal authorities in the neighbouring Spanish city of La Linea.

That would create jobs; bring greater prosperity and stability to our region and mark a step in the right direction for all of us.

Help us to do that.

Send a clear and explicit signal - that the future lies not in Spain looking back at the frontiers established by the absolute monarchs of the fragmented, violent Europe of 1713;

But in jointly looking forward to a unified Europe of peaceful peoples and nations working together, where our right to determine our future is respected as required by international law.

Mr Chairman, my Government wants to work with your Committee in order to complete the decolonisation of Gibraltar in that context.

We want to engage with the organs of the United Nations in order to map out a roadmap to the 4th option for decolonisation of our country in accordance with the principle of self-determination you agree is applicable to all sixteen remaining territories without exception.

That is our right.

That is your obligation.

You have wasted too much of our time already.

And we demand that you start proactively acting in defence of our rights now.

13-06-13
  

So all in all Defenders of Gibraltar have been and are very busy fighting our cause to Defend our land, sea and air and people!

We will keep on no matter what as we have to get our voice heard. We have a lot to do and a lot is going on in the background to be revealed very soon indeed.

Anne-Marie Struggles