Members of the Sicilian Parliament belonging to the 5S (Cinque Stelle) party which is in coalition in the Italian government walked out in protest earlier today when Maltese President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca began to speak.

The President is on a State visit to Sicily.

According to LiveSicilia, the MPs who walked out were doing so in protest against the behaviour of the Maltese Government in the Acquario case.

In a statement they issued, the 5S MPs said they wanted to protest against what they termed the indifference of the Maltese with regards to the plight of so many miserable asylum seekers.

But this gesture was not appreciated by some of the MPs who remained in the Sala d'Ercole. Those who walked out, it was pointed out, are not Sicilians. And Tony Rizzotto, from Lega Nord, did not walk out with them.