Militant Spanish mayor plans invasion of Gibraltar in anti-British protest, Daily Express

A MILITANT Spanish mayor has announced plans to occupy Gibraltar with thousands of supporters in a one-day protest to claim the disputed territory for Spain.

Communist Juan Manuel Sanchez Gordillo made headlines two years ago after organising Robin Hood-style raids on supermarkets and handouts of the stolen food to poor families.

Now the left-wing union he leads is preparing for a mass invasion of the Rock on August 29.

Gordillo, mayor of the town of Marinaleda near Seville as well as head of the Andalucian Workers Union, has claimed they will cross the border peacefully.

But he has insisted on keeping secret the details on how he and his supporters will get into Gibraltar, hinting union members could cross by foot and car as well as arriving by plane and boat before staging their headline-grabbing protest.

Around 2,000 people are expected to take part although the union has 20,000 members and is hoping for support on the day from Spaniards who work on the Rock or are visiting as tourists.

Mr Sanchez, who boasts of running his town like a communist utopia, told a Spanish paper: "We will enter Gibraltar from different points and then see what we do. "It will be a peaceful demonstration but a very revindicative one."We have to take advantage of the surprise factor to be able to achieve our aims."

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Gibraltar rejects Spanish border plans, Daily Telegraph

Gibraltar rejects Spanish border plans, Daily Telegraph

Spain’s government announced on Tuesday it planned to introduce a “fast lane” for workers resident in Spain with jobs in Gibraltar in a bid to reduce traffic queues at the border to the tiny British Overseas Territory.

The measure, which follows the EU recommending both sides work to ease traffic flow at the frontier, is designed to limit disruption for commuters who travel to Gibraltar each day for employment.

Spain’s Tax Administration Agency said it would spend 5.3 million euros to establish the “fast lane” using bar code readers and turnstiles to check passes issued by those who could prove they are resident in Spain but have regular work in Gibraltar.

An estimated 6,000 workers cross the border into Gibraltar each day.

Gibraltar’s government immediately criticised the plans as not going far enough, claiming freedom of movement should be a privilege enjoyed by all.

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Further Reading

Spanish Union calls for Occupation of Gibraltar

British government should get tough on Spanish attacks on Gibraltar, say MPs

EU dismisses Spanish claims Gibraltar Reef

Spanish Journalists arrested for raising Spanish Flag in Gibraltar

Gibraltar and Spain Q&A