Yesterday, members and supporters of the Defenders of Gibraltar ventured out into the Bay of Gibraltar aboard a privately owned vessel. The aim of the outing was to make what they described as an “unequivocal visual statement as to who the waters surrounding the rock belonged to, and to prove that we as Gibraltarians will never be bullied by the Guardia Civil be it on our land or in our waters.”

A spokesperson said that their 

outing “was a peaceful protest, which consisted of venturing out of the Gibraltar harbour and far into the Bay of Gibraltar. 


According to the group, whilst out in the Bay, a Guardia Civil vessel initially bee-lined towards their boat, but then changed its approach vector and veered off when approximately 50 – 60 metres away. A spokesperson described the incident by saying: “Upon seeing our banners and the plethora of Gibraltar and British flags we think they thought the better of acting the fools.
The Defenders of Gibraltar would like to be clear that we are neither the first nor the last to venture out into our waters and make a clear visual statement. There have been singular acts of protest by concerned Gibraltarians long before the Defenders of Gibraltar came into being, and we hope that there will be many many more in future. It is from these brave individuals, normally acting alone, that we take our example.”

The group’s spokesperson concluded: “Lastly, we take this opportunity to remind the UK FCO that we take Spanish illegal incursions into our territorial waters very seriously. It is your duty to ensure that boundaries are respected, and that our sovereignty is protected.”