WATCH: Bearing Roses, Malta’s Controversial ‘Tiger King’ Asks How You Could Ever Accuse Soldiers Of Murder
A controversial Maltese zookeeper has shown his support for Malta’s Armed Forces and Prime Minister after they were reported to the police for the murder of migrants in the Mediterranean.
“We didn’t come with police reports to arrest you – we came with flowers,” Anton Cutajar told soldiers as he approached them.
Cutajar, who has been vocal in his support for Malta’s soldiers and been critical of those who reported them to the police after it was alleged that they may have “sabotaged” a migrant vessel, wanted to physically show his support.
Today, he visited Castille in Valletta as well as went to meet a squad of Maltese soldiers to give them roses, and a message.
“Take a flower, one each – that’s for each of you. “The flower is beautiful, but there’s a message – roses have thorns, meaning in life not everything is nice,” Cutajar told the soldiers.
“You have the Maltese people behind you, friends, don’t lose heart – over the last seven years, you’ve saved over 13,000 people… over 13,000 people!” He continued. “Now, our ports are closed to everyone and the law is there for everyone.”
“How can you arrest these people? How can you accuse these people? I will never get tired of telling you – thank you.”
Cutajar said he was doing this gesture “to show my thanks to these people, I didn’t come here to camp,” he continued in a dig at young activist Xandru Cassar who had protested over migrant deaths in Malta’s Search and Rescue Zone.
He ended by saying that once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, he would be inviting the AFM and their families to his exotic animal park for a free open day.
His comments come as a police investigation has been opened into whether soliders aboard the Patrol Boat P52 damaged a migrant vessel, allegedly damaging some wires onboard the boat.