Tomorrow’s Protest An Attack On Christmas And Festive Cheer, Valletta Cultural Agency Head Claims
Valletta Cultural Agency head Jason Micallef has alleged that tomorrow’s protest against Speaker Anglu Farrugia and PL MP Rosianne Cutajar is nothing but an attempt to “attack Christmas” and make people lose their festive cheer.
“People have a right to protest in a democratic country and I will defend this right till my last breath,” Micallef said. “On the other hand, abusing of the right to protest is an attack on the public and on democracy itself.”
“The pointless protest that will be held tomorrow has only one goal – to attack the Christmas atmosphere in Valletta, to attack families enjoying the festive spirit and to attack and undermine Valletta shops, bars and restaurants. That’s the real goal of the protest, nothing else.”
Micallef also criticised former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi for endorsing the protest, describing it as “hugely irresponsible from a man who is still bitter at the 2013 election trashing”.
Organised by Repubblika, Occupy Justice and Manuel Delia, tomorrow’s protest will be held outside Parliament.
Protestors will call for the resignation of Farrugia and Cutajar.
This comes after Farrugia refused to punish Cutajar in the wake of a Standards Commissioner report which found her in breach of parliamentary ethics for failing to declare money she received from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.
The activists have also criticised Farrugia for dismissing Matthew Caruana Galizia’s calls for his resignation through a legal letter by lawyer Ian Refalo.
“It is shameful that the Speaker is defending an MP who was found guilty by the Standards Commissioner and Standards Committee, while using a lawyer to try and intimidate and silence a citizen,” they said.
“It is even more shameful when you consider that this citizen is the son of a journalist who was assassinated in a mafia-style killing, which the public inquiry found the state responsible for.”
Cover photo: Left: Jason Micallef; Right: A recent Repubblika protest outside Castille
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