Fredbargate

Lenox

By today you mean Saturday

jimenato

It is a little surprising isn't it? But I do know two extremely wealthy Brits (who live in Gib) who each own several properties in La Linea.

Fredbargate

I doubt they live there though, probably renting out

Prior to the frontier closing in 1969 there were many wealthy Gibraltarians living in Campamento, today they live in Sotogrande

Fredbargate

Today from http://www.panorama.gi/

Moratinos calls La Linea mayor to Madrid talks as Gibraltar frontier is used like a political football in Spain

by PANORAMA reporter
Sanchez says he will stage 'protest walk' from the frontier to the Spanish Govt offices in Algeciras

The mayor of La Linea Alejandro Sanchez has been invited to attend a meeting in Madrid with the Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos to consider the problems faced by the border town.

Coincidentally, the meeting is for Wednesday, which is when the tripartite talks at technical level are due to take place in Gibraltar.

Sanchez said last week that anyone who thinks that the tripartite talks will go well, would be making a mistake. He will call for measures to help La Linea, which he does not want to become a suburb 'of Monaco', which is how he sees Gibraltar.

It is expected that Sanchez will follow up his blocking of access into Spain, as he did the other day, with new measures aimed at the trilateral meeting.

If it were not for Gibraltar, La Linea would unfortunately have more than the 10,000 unemployed it has at present. There are about 7,000 registered frontier workers in Gibraltar, largely Spaniards, plus the many who cross daily who are not registered or who undertake all kinds of revenue-earning activities in Gibraltar, such as selling and setting up kitchens, fitted bedroom furniture etc, all of which represents an important source of income for La Linea.

THREATS

While Sanchez has been making his threatening noises, warning of a series of 'stern measures', there continue in La Linea street protests about council workers not being paid their wages. The council ('ayuntamiento') is the main employer there but clearly it does not have the necessary income to meet wages and other expenses.

Behind it all, there is an ongoing confrontation between the mayor, who belongs to the PP, and others who belong to the socialist PSOE. The secretary-general of the PSOE in La Linea has accused Sanchez of 'demagoguery', while the unions claim the mayor is not telling the truth.

Sanchez said it is 'inadmissible and intolerable' that Gibraltar is benefiting from the opportunities that have arisen "while La Linea is in a state of abandonment which, he says, he will not allow for another minute. It's now or never."

A strong view in Gibraltar is that the mayor should stop blaming Gibraltar for his problems, when in fact he should be grateful for the wealth La Linea receives from the Rock, and instead should try and foment benefits for his citizens.

WALK

Sanchez has now announced that in his action plan is a 'protest walk' from the frontier to the Spanish Government offices in Algeciras, where he will read a communique, asking the Spanish Government to help La Linea. His idea of walking all the way to Algeciras is to promote public interest in his campaign.

The Gibraltar Government said last week: "The mayor of La Linea must find means of conducting domestic politics with his central government that does not involve instructing his police to harass Gibraltarians."

19-07-10

ballin

It's chaos at the moment, spanish cars are being attacked in Gibraltar, and Gibbo cars being attacked in Spain. Same with the people, quite a few stabbings in Spain, and rocks being thrown (one lady had her head cracked open)....back on the other side there was a rape by Ocean Village, so much for crime free Gibraltar! (of course you expect this in La Linea more!)

Lenox

How about this one:
El Mundo.
El Ayuntamiento de La Línea estudia cobrar peaje a los turistas que van a Gibraltar
(El pago será excluyente para los trabajadores españoles en el Peñón)
The La Linea town hall considers a toll-road for visitors to Gib - although Spanish workers there won't have to pay it.

Fredbargate

Perhaps if they sacked most of their staff, encouraged the rest to work and stopped putting money in their personal offshore accounts they could make the books balance.

Emma-Louise

Just to be clear the reported rape was by arabs not Spanish....

Since when was Gibraltar ever crime free! There was fun and games just this morning on the high street!

Fredbargate

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=19544


From 1969 until 1982 with the frontier closed it was relatively crime free

http://www.gbc.gi/news/news-world.php?headline=1

Fredbargate

Attempted armed robbery in Main Street

A Spaniard, 44, has been arrested by Gibraltar police in an attempted robbery in a shop in the Main Street. The northern part of Main Street was sealed and shops closed, while police negotiated with an armed man.
Armed police descended onto Main Street following the police being alerted.The Swarovski shop was the scene of the incident.
The man is due to appear in court Wednesday. A full criminal investigation is being carried out by police.

sensationalfrog

if i was in gib,as the headline said,i would have been with those guys sticking the finger up,ofc when i would have seen the rgc i would have gone back to the pub

ballin

I agree, but if you read anything online about Gibraltar they still try and claim it, laughable really!

Emma-Louise

Sensationalfrog what do you mean? What guys sticking their fingers up, sorry I don't understand your post....

Rotor

Youd have to be pretty dim to carry out a robbery in Gib , where are you going to run to? the border or swim to Morocco with a bag of ugly glass crap

Emma-Louise

They never claim to be completely crime free... I think we should be proud of the RGP (not to be confused with the other police unit, the ones that can only be trusted to control the airfield barriers ).....

Have you any idea how many people pass through Gib everyday, plus 32,000 residents!

They deal with dead bodies constantly being washed up on the shores, the Spanish police teasing them constantly in their waters, drug smuggling, cig smuggling, nuclear submarines, numerous road accidents, pick pockets, drunk drivers (mostly Brits! not Janitos or Spanish), an airport, a border crossing etc etc etc!

The RGP has many officers that get sent to the UK for training, they are trained to a very high standard, if and when they are needed those officers would be deployed and would do a very good job! Prime example; October 2008, the Fedra (the container ship that crashed into Europa point during the storms), 31 people saved! If you visit Europa point, look down and try and imagine how the hell they saved those peoples lives!

The Gib riots were due to the RGP's plan to confiscate all speedboats and RIBs overnight, in one night! there were 3 days of rioting but it worked and the smuggling was reduced! they are not afraid to make a statement when it is necessary!

There is no knife crime in Gib, where the UK and Spain both have huge problems in this area!

Plus many issues are dealt with behind the scenes and away from the public eye.....

Before I get the negativity from you lot, Yes there will be things that aren't perfect, but they are only human! But all in all they do a bloody good job!