.jpg "Picardo takes protective stance against protesters")
Tensions began to flare outside Number Six when it seemed as though Picardo would deny meeting the dissidents face to face and rather remain protected inside the Gibraltar Government headquarters.
The impassioned figurehead leading the march that began in Casemates seemed visibly nervous when passing through the columns of Number Six bordered by several RGP police (some of whom were armed). James Parody was inside for less than a minute before he exited and grabbed the megaphone to announce the Chief Minister’s intention to receive the letter.
HEATED STANDOFF
However, many perceived this as Picardo ignoring his responsibility to meet his people and this led to some who cried out ‘you work for us, you work for the people’. It also provoked increasingly aggravated heckles of ‘Que de la cara’ from the crowd and, despite being under heavy police presence, raised the volume to demand Picardo showed his face. It took less than a minute before the Chief Minister rushed out with a smile to receive the letter under a wave of jeers and booing from the protesters.
Needless to say, Picardo took perhaps the tactically wise decision to retreat to his fortress as soon as possible before his smile waned as protests over his regime grew.
Parody then called for demonstrators to disperse once the message from his pressure group, Enough is Enough, had been received by the Chief Minister, but many lingered on. Several police officers stood guard outside the government’s headquarters for some time until the last of the disgruntled protesters had left and any perceived threat was gone.
COMFORTABLE TV PLATFORM
Seeing as the Chief Minister is a massive fan of GBC and willing to pour millions of taxpayers’ money into the national broadcaster, it was no surprise for the interviewer to give him an easy ride. Picardo was given nearly a six-minute interview within the secure confines of his office at Number Six without the pressure of protesters heckling against him. The interviewer also failed to significantly probe into the real concerns the protesters have over the potential treaty with the European Union in the concise questions put to the Chief Minister. This is just the way any politician would like it, where there are no real follow-up questions of substance neither investigation nor probing into newsworthy subjects.
What GBC essentially does for any government in power is provide the platform for politicians to get their message across without scrutiny or debate. They are audiovisual press releases paid at a premium by the taxpayer and wholly endorsed by any administration in power that is prepared to fill GBC pockets.
PUBLIC DISCONNECTION
Up in the offices of the new multi-million-pound ivory tower monstrosity gifted to GBC, the administrators of the national broadcaster seem to have lost touch with the people. Of course, the phrase normally associated with the animal kingdom, ‘you don’t bite the hand that feeds you’, comes to mind when talking about GBC’s relationship with the Gibraltar Government.
However, in a working democracy, the freedom of the press must prevail, which is especially important in a small place like Gibraltar with a single broadcaster. It must be seen as impartial and able to give voice to different sectors of the community in order to present a suitable reflection of the Rock’s colourful and diverse society.
Without this attitude, Gibraltar becomes little more than a dictatorship where key entities like the government, the police force, the national broadcaster and others are never held to account for their actions.
GBC failed the public in its coverage of the demonstration and borderline ridicule of the movement that is clearly in its embryonic stages and perhaps requires some guidance. Instead, one person was singled out and, despite their obvious nerves, was put in front of the camera in what they perhaps thought was their only opportunity to spread awareness of the protester’s list of demands.
PRACTICALLY AN UNINTERRUPTED TV SPEECH
It might have worked better if the powers that be at the TV station, who knew full well when the demonstration would take place and who were behind it, had invited Parody to a debate on their grievances before the event. Not only would this have provided GBC with a decent programme on the news that actually represents the working class and would have drawn in viewers, but it would have served the demonstrators well also.
Instead, the Chief Minister was given ample time to prepare his ‘audiovisual press release’ and GBC was happy to set the stage for him to perform a practically uninterrupted speech.
The impassioned figurehead leading the march that began in Casemates seemed visibly nervous when passing through the columns of Number Six bordered by several RGP police (some of whom were armed). James Parody was inside for less than a minute before he exited and grabbed the megaphone to announce the Chief Minister’s intention to receive the letter.
HEATED STANDOFF
However, many perceived this as Picardo ignoring his responsibility to meet his people and this led to some who cried out ‘you work for us, you work for the people’. It also provoked increasingly aggravated heckles of ‘Que de la cara’ from the crowd and, despite being under heavy police presence, raised the volume to demand Picardo showed his face. It took less than a minute before the Chief Minister rushed out with a smile to receive the letter under a wave of jeers and booing from the protesters.
Needless to say, Picardo took perhaps the tactically wise decision to retreat to his fortress as soon as possible before his smile waned as protests over his regime grew.
Parody then called for demonstrators to disperse once the message from his pressure group, Enough is Enough, had been received by the Chief Minister, but many lingered on. Several police officers stood guard outside the government’s headquarters for some time until the last of the disgruntled protesters had left and any perceived threat was gone.
COMFORTABLE TV PLATFORM
Seeing as the Chief Minister is a massive fan of GBC and willing to pour millions of taxpayers’ money into the national broadcaster, it was no surprise for the interviewer to give him an easy ride. Picardo was given nearly a six-minute interview within the secure confines of his office at Number Six without the pressure of protesters heckling against him. The interviewer also failed to significantly probe into the real concerns the protesters have over the potential treaty with the European Union in the concise questions put to the Chief Minister. This is just the way any politician would like it, where there are no real follow-up questions of substance neither investigation nor probing into newsworthy subjects.
What GBC essentially does for any government in power is provide the platform for politicians to get their message across without scrutiny or debate. They are audiovisual press releases paid at a premium by the taxpayer and wholly endorsed by any administration in power that is prepared to fill GBC pockets.
PUBLIC DISCONNECTION
Up in the offices of the new multi-million-pound ivory tower monstrosity gifted to GBC, the administrators of the national broadcaster seem to have lost touch with the people. Of course, the phrase normally associated with the animal kingdom, ‘you don’t bite the hand that feeds you’, comes to mind when talking about GBC’s relationship with the Gibraltar Government.
However, in a working democracy, the freedom of the press must prevail, which is especially important in a small place like Gibraltar with a single broadcaster. It must be seen as impartial and able to give voice to different sectors of the community in order to present a suitable reflection of the Rock’s colourful and diverse society.
Without this attitude, Gibraltar becomes little more than a dictatorship where key entities like the government, the police force, the national broadcaster and others are never held to account for their actions.
GBC failed the public in its coverage of the demonstration and borderline ridicule of the movement that is clearly in its embryonic stages and perhaps requires some guidance. Instead, one person was singled out and, despite their obvious nerves, was put in front of the camera in what they perhaps thought was their only opportunity to spread awareness of the protester’s list of demands.
PRACTICALLY AN UNINTERRUPTED TV SPEECH
It might have worked better if the powers that be at the TV station, who knew full well when the demonstration would take place and who were behind it, had invited Parody to a debate on their grievances before the event. Not only would this have provided GBC with a decent programme on the news that actually represents the working class and would have drawn in viewers, but it would have served the demonstrators well also.
Instead, the Chief Minister was given ample time to prepare his ‘audiovisual press release’ and GBC was happy to set the stage for him to perform a practically uninterrupted speech.
03-11-21 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR