Sep 25 - Frontier Protests Ahead of EU Commission Inspection
With the EU Commission delegation arriving this morning ahead of today’s inspection of the Gibraltar Spain frontier and its border controls on each side, Spanish independent trade Union CSIF once again held a demonstration on the La Linea side of the border. The Union, which covers workers in the surrounding Campo de Gibraltar area, continued to protest the fact that Ayuntamiento workers are still owed several months of salary from the council.
The protest, held at 9 am this morning, sparked a myriad of media attention, with national police officers sporting riot gear. Spaniards growing tired of the on-going frontier delays also used today’s inspection as an opportunity to put across their cause. The men followed delegates around as they inspected certain areas of Gibraltar’s Customs department, calling for ‘less queues, more political dignity.’ The men's posters insisted that EU delegates should not trust Spanish politicians because they make citizens spend 7 hours in inhumane and third world queues’. They insisted that the human rights of the many thousands that cross the frontier every day are not respected.
Despite today’s visit, the queue entering Gibraltar for vehicles, including motorbikes was extensive, with Guardia Civil officers carrying out stringent checks, once more.
