One year since Daphne’s death

As the one year anniversary of the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia draws close, a number of events are being organised in Malta and European cities to mark her death and renew the calls for truth and justice for her assassination.

These are organised by a number of local and international activists. The events will include the participation of international NGOs, including Reporters without Borders, Pen International, European Federation of Journalists, Committee to Protect Journalists, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom and the International Press Institute.

Events will kick off with a demonstration on Sunday in front of Valletta’s Suq l-Antik in Merchants’ Street at 4pm and will continue towards Republic Street.

The following day, BBC award-winning journalist John Sweeney will be giving a lecture on Freedom in honour of Caruana Galizia. Following his interview with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in January, BBC Newsnight’s Sweeney referred to Muscat as ‘the artful dodger of Europe‘. The lecture will take place at 7pm at the Catholic Institute in Floriana.

An exhibition by foreign artists will also be launched at Argotti Gardens in Floriana at 6.30pm.

On the anniversary of her death – Tuesday – the first event is organised by PN head of delegation MEP David Casa at the Mediterranean Conference Centre at 10am. The event, which will feature an art exhibition, will be addressed by MEPS and other speakers.

Later in the afternoon, at 2.30pm, there will be a silent gathering at the field in Bidnija where Caruana Galizia’s car was found after the bomb explosion.

Mass will be held at 6pm at Valletta’s St Francis Church. It will be celebrated by Reverend Canon David Cilia who was appointed as a replacement by Archbishop Charles Scicluna who will be abroad.

Following this, a vigil will take place in front of the Great Siege monument in Republic Street that will be attended by representatives of the international NGOs.

Vigils will also be held in other European cities. In London, it will take place at 7pm in the courtyard of St James Church in Piccadilly, opposite the Malta High Commission.

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom is also holding a silent vigil at noon at the Residence Palace in Brussels, and at 2.30pm outside the Maltese embassy in Berlin.

The Italian Journalists Federation will be holding a press conference at Piazza Nicosia in Roma at 10am calling for justice and the truth behind Caruana Galizia’s death during which they will be reading out a letter written by her sister, Corinne Vella.

More than 60 Italian journalists who signed a declaration demanding the truth on the mastermind behind Caruana Galizia’s assassination  will also be taking part in a number of these activities.

Daphne, March for truth and justice

Bad governance effects us all. Corruption hurts us all.

The allocation of valuable public land for an absurdly low price to the dB Group, the permit for them to erect a monstrous tower, the contempt shown to residents and protesters are a product of bad governance and corruption. People are rightly angry.

Secrecy and opacity in public expenditure is wrong and hides unjustified expenses paid by the public. Minister Chris Cardona wants to hide what we pay his advisors. He hid what he spent drinking from his hotel rooms travelling on official business. He hid his weekend jaunts at Formula One cities and he still hides why he went there. He continues to hide how he entertains himself at night when on official duty. People are rightly angry.

Impunity from prosecution of politicians caught in the act ensures our country is run by delinquents. Konrad Mizzi is still laughing no-one ever asked him why he signed to receive millions into a secret Panama company he set up when he became Minister. Keith Schembri never bothered to explain why 17 Black was going to pay him money for nothing. People are rightly angry.

Profiteering from crime has besmirched the country’s name to the point that when Edward Scicluna catches a taxi in South America the driver assumes he’s corrupt. We sell our citizenship to crooks sanctioned by other governments and we have hosted money laundering machines for Cosa Nostra and the Ndrangheta. Our harbours are used to bunker stolen fuel while the authorities watch on. And honest businesses are shying away from Malta. People are rightly angry.

Dissent or protest is ignored or suppressed. The government feels it has a free hand to brush off anything or anyone in its way. It assumes objectors are few in number, leaderless, divided and scared. Those who have not been badly effected by its decisions fear the government will tomorrow turn on them. People are rightly angry.

A journalist was killed in a car bomb a year ago. Senior government officials expresses delight she is gone and government restricts investigations to ensure those who commissioned her assassination walk free. People are rightly angry.

We demand truth and justice. We ask you to join us for a March for Truth and Justice, Sunday 14th October, 2018, departing from outside Is-Suq tal-Belt in Valletta. Speakers at the march will be announced shortly.