UPDATED | ‘Who killed Daphne?’ banners removed at night

Banners and billboards erected by activists on Friday calling for justice and asking ‘Who Killed Daphne?’ were removed the same night.

The banners were removed while a candlelight vigil organised was being held in Valletta in which various people reiterated their commitment to keep up Daphne Caruana Galizia’s fight for good governance and against corruption.

These included billboards erected by #OccupyJustice along the Regional Road and the Coast Road with pointed messages directed at Muscat.

The three billboards carry the messages: “A Journalist Killed. No Justice.”; “A Country Robbed. No Justice.”; “No Resignations. No Justice.”

“Like the bombers who killed Daphne to warn off her sources, the government yesterday threw the book at the billboard contractor to warn off all businesses in Malta. The government’s message is clear: providing any service to civil society will bring retribution of the full force of the government’s power,” #OccupyJustice said.

“This surprises no one. The climate of fear that has gripped the nation is justified by the discriminate application of the law to serve the interests of the powerful.”

They added that government’s zeal in enforcing planning laws on removable billboards yesterday contrasts with its eagerness “to drown our islands in cement and shadows. The government’s zeal for enforcement of the law contrasts with the protection it gives to people who should evidently be investigated and perhaps indicted namely: Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi.”

Vowing to continue its fight in spite of the government’s continued abuse of power, the activists said “the country was rife with corruption and there was not even a semblance of justice being carried out. Yet, the government refused to address this because it was “feasting on a culture of impunity”.

Reiterating that they will not rest until justice is served, #OccupyJustice said that four months have passed since the murder, and Malta is still in the dark as to who commissioned Caruana Galizia’s assassination while she was uncovering corruption atrocities.