GIBRALTAR NATIONAL DAY, SOVEREIGNTY REFERENDUM

Gibraltar

Today, The Grandma has travelled to Gibraltar to assist to the celebrations of its National Day.

Tomorrow, September 11 is the Catalan National Day and The Grandma wants to remember the history of Gibraltar and Catalonia during the 18th century, two lands affected directly by the Utrecht Treaty, two lands with equal dreams and different destinies.

The Grandma has visited Catalan Bay, a place that demonstrates the links between Gibraltarian and Catalan people.

During the flight from Barcelona to Gibraltar, The Grandma has studied a new lesson of her Ms. Excel course.

18. Macros (I) (Spanish Version)

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 and is bordered to the north by Spain. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to over 30,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians. 

In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. The territory was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

More information: Government of Gibraltar

During World War II it was an important base for the Royal Navy as it controlled the entrance and exit to the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, which is only 14.3 km wide at this naval choke point. It remains strategically important, with half the world's seaborne trade passing through the strait. Today Gibraltar's economy is based largely on tourism, online gambling, financial services and cargo ship refuelling.

The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations because Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and, in a 2002 referendum, the idea of shared sovereignty was also rejected.

The Grandma visits Gibraltar

Gibraltar National Day, celebrated annually on 10 September, is the official national day of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.

The day commemorates Gibraltar's first sovereignty referendum of 1967, in which Gibraltarian voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government.

The Gibraltar sovereignty referendum of 1967 was held on 10 September 1967, in which Gibraltarian citizens were asked whether they wished to pass under Spanish sovereignty, with Gibraltarians keeping their British citizenship and a special status for Gibraltar within Spain; or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government.

Further to resolution 2070 of the United Nations General Assembly that was approved on 16 December 1965, the governments of Spain and the United Kingdom started talks on Gibraltar in 1966.

More information: The Gibraltar Parliament

On 18 May 1966, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Castiella made a formal proposal to Britain comprising three clauses:

-The cancellation of the Treaty of Utrecht and the subsequent return of Gibraltar to Spain.

-The presence of the British in the Royal Navy base in Gibraltar, its use being subject to a specific Anglo-Spanish agreement.

-A Personal Statute for Gibraltarians, under United Nations guarantee, protecting their cultural, social and economic interest in Gibraltar or anywhere else in Spain, including their British nationality. "(An) appropriate [..] administrative formula" should also be agreed on.

The options presented to Gibraltarians in a referendum were:

-To pass under Spanish sovereignty in accordance with the terms proposed by the Spanish Government; or

-Retain their link with Britain, with democratic local institutions. Britain retaining its present responsibilities.

The Grandma visits Gibraltar

A new constitution was passed in 1969. The same year, the Spanish government closed the border between Spain and Gibraltar, cutting off all contacts and severely restricting movement. The border was not fully reopened until February 1985.

The Special Committee on Decolonization was informed in advance of the referendum and invited to observe. The invitation was declined and instead the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2353, which requested that the United Kingdom enter negotiations with Spain, then under the dictatorship of General Franco, and criticised the United Kingdom for holding a referendum.

Resolution 2353 (XXII) was supported by seventy-three countries -mainly Latin American, Arab, African and Eastern European countries-, rejected by nineteen (United Kingdom and the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations), while twenty-seven countries abstained (Western Europe and the United States).

More information: Historic UK

In 1992, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Joe Bossano, travelled to the United Nations to argue for the right to self-determination inspiring the formation of the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) which was at the time headed by Dennis Matthews, a one-time active member of the Integration with Britain Party (IWBP). In order to generate popular support for self-determination they held the first National Day at John Mackintosh Square (the Piazza) on 10 September 1992 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the day the 1967 sovereignty referendum was held on. Coincidentally, the 10 September was also the day the Gibraltar Legislative Council became representative and responsible for internal affairs in 1964.

The first National Day was so successful that the avalanche of people that spontaneously turned up could not fit into John Mackintosh Square. The Government then took the responsibility of providing some help organising the event, since it fostered the right to self-determination that the Gibraltarians had been demanding at the United Nations since 1963. Therefore, the Government declared the 10 September a public holiday and gave the SDGG a grant for them to administer. In 1993 the venue was changed to the larger Grand Casemates Square, until it was again changed in 1998 to the even larger Naval Ground.

The active opposition of the Spanish Government to self-determination combined with the negative posture of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, strengthened the resolution of the vast majority of the Gibraltarians to press ahead for their decolonisation by the year 2000 in accordance with the high principles of the Charter and the target date set by the United Nations to eradicate colonialism.

Gibraltar

Instead, the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, proposed joint sovereignty with Spain, which further intensified the sense of national identity reinforced by the National Day. The 10th National Day, held in 2001 included a speech by William Serfaty, the then leader of the SDGG, which stressed the themes of national identity, unity, resisting Spanish pressure and decolonisation.

Subsequent National Days have comparatively been quieter affairs with fewer invited guests and shorter political speeches. In 2007 the running of the political rally was taken over by the Government from the SDGG. In July 2008 the Government announced they would change the format of National Day to take effect the same year. The main change was their decision to no longer organise a political rally. The reason given was to emphasise civic celebration of Gibraltar rather than political revindication. Other changes included relocating the main event to the smaller John Mackintosh Square from Grand Casemates Square, appointing the Mayor of Gibraltar to conduct the main event rather than any political leader, the presentation of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour and the reading of the Gibraltar National Day Declaration.

More information: Visit Gibraltar

The official Gibraltar National Day events begin with a children’s fancy dress competition held at the lobby of the Parliament building in Main Street followed by a street party at John Mackintosh Square where food and drink stalls are set up providing Gibraltarian food such as calentita. Later a selected school choir sings songs with a Gibraltar theme, namely Llévame Donde Nací and Virgencita de Europa.

This is followed by the main event, the Mayor's recitation of the names of the recipients of the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour and the reading of the Gibraltar National Day Declaration from atop the City Hall's balcony.

This was previously followed by the traditional release from atop the Parliament building of 30,000 red and white balloons, representing Gibraltar's population, which had featured on this day since 1992. The balloon release tradition has been ended this year due to the threat that it poses to wildlife, marine wildlife in particular. In the meantime, the school choir leads the general public in the singing of the Gibraltar Anthem.

Gibraltar

A funday for children featuring bouncy castles and fairground rides is then held at Grand Casemates Square. There is live music is played all afternoon at Governor’s Parade (the Piazzella) and the Rock on the Rock Club, all free of charge, as opposed to the Gibraltar Music Festival a paid event leading up to national day. Since 2007, there has been a verbena for the older members of the community. The day culminates with a half-hour-long synchronised fireworks display released from the Detached Mole in the Gibraltar Harbour at night followed by a rock concert.

In July 2008, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana announced that the Government would establish a civic award scheme, to be known as the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour, which would be awarded by Parliament. The award is formally presented annually by the Mayor of Gibraltar prior to the release of the balloons on Gibraltar National Day.

More information: The Guardian

Catalan Bay, in Spanish La Caleta, is a bay and fishing town in Gibraltar, on the eastern side of The Rock away from Westside.

Although the origin of Catalan Bay's name is documented, a couple of theories co-exist.

Documentary evidence suggests that the bay is named after a group of around 350 Catalan servicemen believed to have settled there after having assisted the Anglo-Dutch forces who captured Gibraltar during the War of Spanish Succession on 4 August 1704.

Evidence supports the theory that Catalans settled in Catalan Bay giving rise to the above etymological definition.

The name La Caleta, meaning small bay or cove, considerably pre-dates that of Catalan Bay. The fishing villages of La Atunara (La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz) and La Caleta are mentioned in a Royal Dispatch of 6 March 1634, being under the jurisdiction of the Tercio del Mar de Marbella y Estepona in the Kingdom of Granada.

Since it has been called La Caleta for much longer than it has been called Catalan Bay.

The first mention of Catalan Bay was probably, at least, in the mid-eighteenth century, between the second and third siege of Gibraltar (1727-1779). It already appeared on William Faden's map (dressed in 1769-1775 and published in 1782), or in John Cheevers's map (1785). Before that, it probably was named Catalan Battery, Catalan Beach or Playa de los Catalanes.

The Grandma visits Catalan Bay

In 1704, during the capture of Gibraltar by an Anglo-Dutch combined operation, an expedition landed there of around 350 Catalans followers of Charles of Austria and commanded by Prince Georg von Hessen Darmstadt (Catalonia's deputy and delegate of Charles of Austria) and general Joan Baptista Basset. 

They most likely came to Gibraltar in at least five ships, as among the lists of Catalan expeditionaries there are five vessel owners from Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Cubelles, Mataró, and Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The Catalans formed two companies, an artillery company -called Catalan Battery- and an infantry company of mountain fusiliers -called Catalan Company of Miquelets, commanded by captain Jaume Burguy.

Both protected the isthmus of Gibraltar and attacked mountain areas of the Rock against Spanish grenadiers.

Some of the surnames of the Catalans who participated in the conquest are: Andreu, Armenter, Auger, Basset, Bertran, Besart, Boix, Bonavida, Bosch, Burguy, Canovas, Caramany, Carreras, Casamitjana, Castells, Cateura, Clavell, Constans, Corrons, Cortès, Esplugas, Estanyol, Estaper, Esteve, Fabregas, Ferrer, Fonollós, Fontanet, Freixes, Frutó, Gil, Goy, Llofriu, Llopis, Martí, Massana, Matalonga, Mulet, Navarro, Nebot, Oliver, Ortas, Pausà, Pi, Pons, Pujol, Rabassa, Ribas, Roca, Rossell, Roset, Rovira, Ruaix, Salvat, Sanromà, Serrallonga, Siurana, Soler, Trebó, Trias, Trullàs, Vidal, Virolà, Viudes.

More information: ThoughtCo.

Subsequently, the conquest, some of these Catalan soldiers settled in Gibraltar, after the departure of the majority of troops used in the conquest, and helped establish the first military checkpoint of Gibraltar. The Catalan Alfons de la Capella, lawyer of the Royal Council of Catalonia, became a judge in Gibraltar. The Catalan Josep Corrons was appointed Alcaide of the Sea, responsible for the harbour, and later was appointed Sergeant Major of Gibraltar. The Catalan Andreu Martí, one of the first to take the stronghold of the port in the conquest of the Rock, was responsible for directing the work of the prisoners after the conquest. The Catalan Jeroni Fàbregas was responsible for the distribution of ammunition.

In the 1705 siege, the Catalan soldiers fought again in defence of Gibraltar, especially in an area then called Catalan Guard or Catalan Post in Wolf's Leap (Johann Argathelu map at first third of the eighteenth century, Gabriel Bodenehr map 1720, Johann Bowles brothers map 1727...)

In 1709, Catalan Josep Valls, a Gibraltar resident, collaborating with Catalan traders Salvador Feliu de la Penya, Joan Verivol, Josep Grasses, and Josep Boigues, created a commercial company called Companyia Nova de Gibraltar (New Company of Gibraltar), in order to replace the monopoly of Cádiz in ocean trade, that would endure until 1723.

The Grandma visits Catalan Bay

Historically, Catalan Bay had been populated by Genoese fishermen who were part of a much larger settlement pattern along the eastern coast of The Rock during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

In the eighteenth century Genoese was so widely spoken in Gibraltar that government notices were also published in this language -alongside English and Spanish. Genoese was spoken in La Caleta well into the nineteenth century, dying out in the early decades of the twentieth. There has been some discussion about the possibility that the British may have mixed up Catalans with Genoese but, according to some opinions, it is by no means clear why they would suffer such a confusion, especially since there is other evidence which demonstrates that the British were perfectly aware that the residents of La Caleta were Genoese: the orders for the siege of 1727 refer to this bay as the Genoese Cove and the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century censuses record large numbers of people born in Genoa, not in Catalonia.

However, the seventeenth-century French map Plan de Catalan Bay ou la Caleta, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, which showed houses and lists of the inhabitants living in Catalan Bay before the village was completely built, shows various Catalan surnames among its inhabitants (Borràs, Canovas, Estella, Fabre, Fava, Palmé, Sans, Serra, Vila) even though they were not a majority compared to Genoese surnames, only a 12%.

More information: The Telegraph

Therefore, there is documentary evidence that among the first inhabitants of Catalan Bay there were Catalans, despite the fact that they were few in number compared to the Genoese. Also, there is considerable evidence that during the seventeenth century Catalan fishermen travelled to the south of Spain every summer in order to fish for anchovie, which were quite plentiful in this part of the world. 

Their main base was at the mouth of the river Palmones, which is more or less opposite Gibraltar. It was an ideal place to beach their boats and salt their catch in readiness for taking back home at the end of the season. It should also be noted that among the Catalans who participated in the conquest of 1704 there were some fishermen.

During the nineteenth century only fishermen were permitted to live in Catalan Bay. They were required to have a fishing permit granted to them by the Governor and only a limited number of permits were issued. The families who live in the village today are mainly descendants of these Genoese fishermen, and are colloquially known as caleteños.

More information: Time Travel Turtle

I am now in Gibraltar.

It is a large place and there does not seem to be room in this letter,

in which to express my feelings about Moors in bare legs

and six thousand Red-coats and to hear Englishmen speak again.

Richard Harding Davis