All flowers, candles and photos that were placed at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta were removed overnight, as photo above shows.

But a new photo of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and fresh flowers and candles were soon back on the monument. And activists placed more flowers and candles at the foot of the monument later on in the day.

The photos and flowers had been piling up ever since the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on 16 October, and were all removed last night before the new ones were placed (photo below)

A controversy had erupted in more recent weeks as there were calls for memorial dedicated to the journalist are removed, as after all the Great Siege Monument is a national testament to Malta’s victory against the Turks in 1565. Followers of the journalist turned it into a symbolic shrine and said the memorial to the slain journalist was set up opposite the law courts because the people were calling for justice.

Following this, photos of former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, Karin Grech (who was killed by a parcel-bomb addressed to her father) and Raymond Caruana, a PN activist who was shot at the PN club of Gudja, were also put up next to the photo of Caruana Galizia.

A motion was also presented to the Valletta local council by a Labour councillor, but the mayor ruled that the council does not have jurisdiction on the monument.

Three men have been charged with the murder.

Photo below shows the Great Siege monument free of photos and flowers which were removed overnight.

Activists from the Occupy Justice movement this evening placed more flowers and candles at the foot of the Great Siege Monument.

The activists said they would not “allow this government to brush the assassination of a journalist away from the public eye.”

Photos: Baskal Mallia