What impressed me most among news items over the last days was the incident (or supposedly non-incident) of the gentleman who has had enough of the crumbling MEPA and decided to hold a peaceful protest outside the office of the supreme leader at Castille (God knows where he is anyway – probably on holiday in some exotic or fashionable location, which I will not grudge him). This protesting gentleman – as reported by The Malta Independent - parked his small white car (not an armoured carrier), with hand written posters on the windscreen and windows, in Castille Square for a couple of days and, it seems, was originally booked and then actually arrested and taken to the Police Depot (on more than one occasion I believe). Whether he had a lawyer to assist him as, now, is of right, I doubt. This gentleman was the conveniently considered to be in need of psychiatric treatment and taken to Mount Carmel Hospital. It would seem that the doctor committing him to the hospital must have been police engaged, if not attached to the force. For, within twenty four hours another psychiatrist, presumably independent , released him. To my knowledge he has not been charged in court.

Now the right to protest has been upheld in Malta since 1987, when the Nationalist Party was elected after the repressive Socialist regime. We have had loads of protesters over the years accumulating in Castille Square and even blocking the whole area. We have had ministerial and other official Government cars parked illegally in that square. We have ministerial and other official Government cars parked illegally round the corner in Merchant Street, in front of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs and Tourism. Have there been any bookings? Not for them but for this poor, law abiding gentlemen who was exercising his sacrosanct right to protest peacefully. Have any of the drivers of the said Government cars been arrested or taken to Mount Carmel Hospital? Have any of them been beaten by the Socialist police or their associate thugs as our colleagues medical students were in 1977 when they chained themselves to the railings of the Prime Ministerial “sanctum sanctorum”; with their supportive colleagues from all faculties then being bludgeoned by the state police down by the War Memorial in Floriana?

But what is more worrying to recollect is the Back Monday episode in 1979, which, though far more dramatic, had the same tactics used. That afternoon, a certain Karmni Grima, managed to get into Mintoff’s office (not private) at Castille (was the PM present?), in order to get an audience with another supreme leader, which he had been attempting to arrange for a long time. Truly, he held a hand gun (identity and efficacy still shrouded in mystery). Mr Grima was quite rightly overpowered by security and (of course not rightly) severely beaten up – there are so many photographs to evidence this. Subsequently he was conveniently certified as mentally unstable and buried in Mount Carmel Hospital. I believe he has now passed away. However, his family have always claimed that his was a false certification.

What’s more, however, was that that day happened to be the 25th anniversary of Mintoff’s leadership. The Karm Grima episode was very important as a platform for some of the worst political violence in this country. Word conveniently got round that there had been an attempt on Mintoff’s life, and, sure enough, the rabble mobilised. Anything for the great leader. Church offices, PN clubs, The Times offices were burnt out. The Leader of the Opposition’s private residence was ransacked, his wife beaten up and his elderly mother and young children terrorised.

But I have diverted somewhat. What all this should lead to is a realisation that we may very well have to increase the number and size of our mental institutions. There are so many protesters regularly filling our streets and squares (including NGOs). I’m surprised that Birdlife and their supporters are not in a mental institution, what with the ludicrous persecution they are having to suffer. But then the Government has to support the FKNK to whom it has sold its soul, like so many others (non-enforcement regarding abuse of Government land, for example, the latest among so many others). So (and yes I’m rambling) have we reached the situation that protests against the Prime Minister lead to protesters being institutionalised? Are these further private lessons he is taking from his buddy China, or perhaps Russia, although our relations there do not seem so good. If we are really getting to this state I would expect not the people, or the Opposition, but first of all his Government, especially backbenchers to rise up in arms.

A couple of other points I would like to mention briefly. The issue of junk mail. I was very happy to read the declaration by the Minister for the Environment that the distribution of junk mail is to be regulated and controlled. If I had my way I would ban it completely. I could possibly tolerate that distributed with newspapers, but not the rest. These are all colourful brochures and must cost a lot of money. For me, out of the letterbox, onto the floor and straight into the dustbin.

As for the Church, it was typical of Fr. Joe Borg, a respected friend, colleague and collaborator ever since University days to come out with an article in The Sunday Times of Malta criticising the Church leadership and calling for an open and forceful Church. He has received the backing of many. We should push fast for a Curia (rather than Vatican) Council. Well done Joe!