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Vol. 5 Issue 151
www.theolivepress.es
EX CL US IV E
The
OLIVE PRESS GIBRALTAR
The expat that took on Tyson
The Rock’s only free local paper June 30th - July 13th 2021
Get the tale of the tape on page 3
Rough justice TWO men from Gibraltar have described the shocking treatment they suffered at the hands of Spanish police while on a night out across the border in La Linea. The pair claimed they were ‘physically abused’ by officers and ‘blackmailed into accepting a crime they didn’t commit’. Ex-military Andy, 55 and his brother-in-law Colin, 35, who don’t want their surnames made public, had been enjoying an evening drink on a busy terraza, when a Spaniard came ‘charging’ at Colin armed with a six-inch knife. Andy wrestled the man to the floor and disarmed him during the incident last week. Minutes later, 10 members of the Policia Nacional arrived, ordering Colin to get down on the floor. He obliged, meanwhile trying to explain he was the victim.
Kicked
Colin claims he was then kicked in the back multiple times and placed in handcuffs before being taken to the local police station. Andy followed as a witness after identifying their attacker. But he explains that when he got to the station he was ´pushed multiple times by an officer, who kept shouting things at me in Spanish - knowing full well I didn’t understand´. “He grabbed me by the throat, handcuffed me, threw me down the stairs,” he told the Olive Press. Thrown in separate cells, the pair went 13 hours without food or drink, with no access to a lawyer, no phone call, and no translator, although Andy was taken to the hospital for his wounds to be dressed. By morning, the pair were charged with disobedience
FABIAN Picardo has called for unity after yes won the abortion referendum campaign. While he welcomed the result, which saw voters choose to relax its draconian anti-abortion law, he acknowledged that it was now time to heal the rift over the issue. “I want to congratulate the yes campaign,” the Chief Minister said after the result that saw 62% vote to relax the law to allow abortion up to 12 weeks, with 36% voting against.
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Continues on Page 5
Time to pull together
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Friendship
“But I also want to hold out a hand of friendship and continued dialogue to the parties who campaigned for ‘No’. I consider all of you to be Gibraltarian patriots,” he said following the vote on Thursday. “We must also start the work of reunifying our people tonight. And the unifying zeal must start today and must go out from this place to everyone in our community. “I’ve seen many instances today of friends holding each other despite defending opposite views. “That is the spirit of Gibraltar. Although we may disagree with each other on some matters, we are always united in the defence of Gibraltar and its wider interests and
Chief Minister calls for ‘unity’ on the Rock after divisive vote on abortion By Fiona Govan
the interests of all. “Gibraltarians, regardless of party, political affiliation, colour, creed or other differentiation. And that unity is what we must start to concentrate on now.” Speaking to crowds after the result came in, Isobel Ellul, spokeswoman for the Gibraltar for Yes campaign, said triumphantly: “Well, today, Gibraltar voted Yes. Yes for human rights. Yes for women and girls. Yes for trusting doctors and health care professionals. Yes for choice. Yes for compassion and empathy. Yes for healthcare and care. Yes for reproductive rights. Yes for female bodily autonomy. And yes for abortion that is at home, safe and legal.” For those opposed to the law change, the result came as a blow after months of hard-fought campaigning. “It’s disappointing for us as we feel it is a very extreme law,” said spokeswoman for Save Babies,
Vote No, Karenza Morillo. “Once the laws are brought in it is very difficult to get the extra services for women that were promised. “Abortions do increase year by year in other countries where it has been legalised,” she said, adding that the Gibraltar Pro-Life Movement will continue to support women affected by this and
other issues. Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, who supported the ‘vote no’ campaign echoed calls for unity. “It is now important for the community to try to heal and go forward and ensure that we at least find some common ground on at least these important issues that affect women,” he said.