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Article: Tempers fray over Spanish moves to block the Rock
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- December 9, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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IN THE new open Europe, traffic jams sometimes two miles long
wind back from the border between Spain and Gibraltar. Below in the
bay, innocent fishermen and young cigarette smugglers have their
boats buzzed by Spanish helicopters.
A new siege mentality has arisen in the British colony.
Gibraltarians accuse the Spanish government of reviving the tactics
of General Franco who, in 1969, imposed a 16-year blockade in an
attempt to force the 30,000 people on the Rock to accept rule from
Madrid.
The modern variant of Franco's tactics is border checks, which
from the end of October have meant that drivers crossing into Spain
have had to satisfy rigorous demands that their cars are carrying ...