Hunger strike protest over UK sub

Gibraltar: A rock of contention between Britain and Spain

MADRID, Spain -- Protesters in Spain have begun a hunger strike over a British nuclear submarine stranded in Gibraltar for nearly a year.

The hunger strike began as British forces started up the nuclear reactor of the stricken vessel, which they hope to sail away in the next few days.

Protesters are demanding the immediate removal of the craft, the HMS Tireless, which docked in Gibraltar last May.

Members of the protest group Antisubmarine Platform complain that the submarine endangers health and the local environment.

Miguel Alberto Diaz, a representative of the group, warned the strike would be indefinite.

"They are playing with our lives. We don't want the government to sit back and let them start the reactor," he told Europa Press.

But the Ministry of Defence in London brushed aside health fears. A spokesman said: "There have never been any safety concerns.

"Repairs are complete, final preparations are under way and she will be sailing at the beginning of May."

The Tireless developed a leak in the cooling system of its nuclear reactor while on duty in the Mediterranean and a string of protests against the submarine have been held since it limped into Gibraltar.

Environmentalists, Spanish opposition politicians and local residents have demanded the submarine be taken back to Britain for repairs.

But Britain's Ministry of Defence has refused, saying it would be risky to move the Trafalgar-class submarine, which is capable of firing Tomahawk missiles.

The British, Gibraltar and Spanish governments have all given assurances that the sub poses no threat to public safety.

The case has rekindled friction between London and Madrid over Gibraltar, a tiny but disputed colony of about 30,000 people. Spain seeks to regain sovereignty over Gibraltar, which was signed over to Britain nearly 300 years ago.

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Royal Navy
Gibraltar

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