Thousands of protesters gathered in Valletta this afternoon, marching for truth and justice in the wake of the latest revelations into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, while also demanding the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, The Malta Independent reports.
The protesters marched behind a banner calling for “Justice”, with Caruana Galizia’s parents and two of her sisters at the forefront of the demonstration. The protests come after weeks of demonstrations demanding that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat resign immediately, MaltaToday adds.
The Times reports many are carrying Maltese flags and chanting ‘Ġustizzja’ (justice), ‘Mafia’, ‘Barra’ (out), ‘Assassini’ (assassins), ‘Korrotti’ (corrupt) and ‘Daphne was right’. They walked down Republic Street turned into St John’s Street and up Merchant’s Street stopping in Castille Square, in front of the Office of the Prime Minister, where Marco Masini’s song ‘Vaffanculo‘ was played.
Blogger Manuel Delia, one of the organisers, said one of the most obscene scenes was witnessed this morning with PL leadership contestants Chris Fearne and Robert Abela holding each other’s hands as though they won something. This was an insult to the country. Stop trying to give the impression we are living in normal times, he said.
Mr Delia accused the Prime Minister of being an agent to the Mafia who did not want anything to change after he left. The Mafia wanted to continue building towers and doing as they pleased because the police would not act. He asked why weren’t the leadership contenders making promises such as to dismantle political party stations and ensuring justice for all. “Why aren’t you apologising to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family? Why are you still smiling with Muscat?” Civil society, he said, was proud to have the free media united with civil society in the value of honesty.
Addressing the crowd, Graffiti’s Andre Callus said Joseph Muscat defended businessman Keith Schembri despite the fact that he is sinking in mud. “The sewage has now exploded in Muscat’s office. Muscat has to shoulder responsibility and resign at once. The longer he stays the more the suspicion to cover the truth. Our country is going to drag out this horrible chapter forever.” Mr Callus said the motto of money at the expense of anything led to this. “We need to attack the root of this. Let’s kick out big business from politics. We need politics that help workers.” He called for the investigation and reversal of the privatisation processes and said it pained him that the PL in government did the opposite of what a socialist party should stand for. Mr Callus appealed to Socialists to stop fearing and speak up and face up to “these thieves and murderers”.
Newsbook reports that activist Christian Pace told the crowd that, as a transsexual, he voted Labour in 2013. Back then, the promise of civils rights for LGBT resonated strongly. Reacting to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s video message in which he announced that he will step down after a new Partit Laburista leader is elected, Pace expressed his anger, denouncing Muscat for “trying to cover up his wrongdoings by banging his chest about LGBT rights”.
Pace highlighted that the LGBT community is not a catchphrase which can be instrumentalised for votes. “And that is why I feel disgusted when every time that Castille [referring to OPM] is shrouded in dark clouds of scandals, the first trick in the book is to pull the civil rights card,” Pace stated. He lambasted Muscat for his use of ‘granting civil rights’ saying that when the rights were introduced Muscat was essentially doing his duty as a public servant and not doing them ‘a favour’.
The activist highlighted that like every Maltese citizen, one expects the government to guarantee peace of mind, clean economy, a sound environment, security and freedom of expression.
“Once you committed this macabre act against one of us, you committed against all of us,” Pace stated, highlighting that the act was not only against Daphne Caruana Galizia but against everyone else. Pace went back to basics in his speech saying that “politicians are there to serve the electorate that trusted them with their vote”. Adding they are not gods. “A politician like you has to be clean – free from every suspicion,” Pace said.
ShiftNews refer to Louiselle Vassallo who pointed out that the government had been calling for “serenity” and discretion for the past two years ever since Caruana Galizia’s murder and, lately, even more so. “It’s as though the people don’t have a right to be angry or that civil society needs to listen to the pseudo-gods warming up Parliament seats to obey and feel only the emotions they want us to,” she said.
“What do they expect us to do? Sit at home and decorate the Christmas tree in the hope that one of them kicks Muscat out?” Vassallo added.
Via Newsbook / Times of Malta / MaltaToday / Independent / Shift News
Photo – Civil Society Network /Paul Borg Olivier
