‘We will not be silenced,’ activists warn Muscat

Activists calling for justice for murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia warned Prime Minister Joseph Muscat that they will not be silenced.

In a symbolic action outside Muscat’s office in Valletta, activists from #OccupyJustice laid out the banners and billboards which were removed on Friday night.

“Prime Minister if you think you are going to silence us by pulling down our billboards, or by making a show of force to put the fear into any commercial entity that would otherwise support our cause of fighting for the restoration of justice in this country you are mistaken.You’re trying to shut us up, your stamp of approval for the culture of impunity makes us stronger and more determined to fight for what is left of democracy in our country. But we won’t be intimidated” a spokesperson for #OccupyJustice said.

https://www.facebook.com/occupyjusticemalta/videos/417592232015527/

On Friday, several billboards and banners calling for justice were removed although these had all the necessary permits.

Insisting that no laws were broken, #OccupyJustice said they rented out the billboard spaces legally with all contracts signed, invoices and taxes paid after being reassured that all billboards had the necessary permits.

#OccupyJustice asked why four months after Caruana Galizia’s murder, Malta was still in in the dark as to who commissioned the assassination just as she was uncovering corruption at the highest levels of government.

“On the February 16, we put up these messages on billboards. Those billboards were removed, with a disregard to our right to protest, our right to question the government’s disregard for the rule of law and our right for freedom of expression, only serves to cement our resolve to persevere in our cause,” they said.