A considerable crowd gathered in Marsa this morning, protesting the lack of security and order their families are experiencing. The 'solidarity walk' consisted of residents from Marsa and surrounding areas, where roughly 250 people gathered, some holding Maltese flags as they walked through the streets of Marsa. The walk was to highlight the level of crime in the area, which has been attributed to the immigrants living at the open centre in Marsa. The protest was in a response to numerous incidents that happened and the number of police raids that were conducted in the past weeks.

Concerned residents from the area made it clear that this was not about race but about attitude. "We are here today to bring security and order back to Marsa. There are certain individuals in this area who start drinking from the early hours of morning, they get drunk outside, urinate on the streets and sleep outside. You cannot go to the swings with your children because you will find them there" one of the residents explained.

Many also spoke out about their disappointment of the absentee mayors from surrounding areas, in which residents claimed this was because they were scared.

Among the protestors, far-right activist Norman Lowell and leader of Movement Patrijotti Maltin, Henry Battisttino, also made an appearance at the walk.

Earlier this month, Ahmed Bugri from The Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants (FSM) has told The Malta Independent that the police raids in Marsa will not solve the problems the area is facing as it merely creates a negative impression instead of examining and tackling the root cause of the issue. Expanding on his position, Bugri said the current issues in Marsa are the result of the failure to implement a substantial integration policy when the influx of migrants in the area began ten to fifteen years ago.