Activists took to the streets of Valletta for a demonstration seeking justice for slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, on the fifth anniversary of her brutal murder.

The crowd went from Parliament to the Great Siege Monument, which has become something of a memorial to the journalist, who was killed in a car bombing on 16 October 2017.

There, a vigil took place which saw some nine speakers give their contributions, chief amongst those being European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The government still doesn’t respect journalists’ work – Metsola 

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola condemned the government for still not respecting the work journalists do, as she spoke at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta on Sunday in a vigil marking the 5th anniversary of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

She said that the government cannot continue to “hide information, discriminate in how adverts are handed out, refuse interviews or allow/encourages its supporters to harass journalists on social media.”

Metsola emphasised how now it is time for the government to adopt Daphne’s values, and fight for transparency and justice.

During her speech, Metsola praised Caruana Galizia for always following one principle: to always carry out her duty because it was the right thing to do.

“That is the basic principle that drives people of honour: the search for the truth to expose what is wrong and have it stopped and changed,” she said.

She said how even though Caruana Galizia held this basic principle, she was “demonised” for it.

Metsola described Caruana Galizia as a “woman of steel” who kept moving forward in the fight against corruption despite as “a single woman with just a laptop in hand.”

Metsola said that following Caruana Galizia’s death there was an “earthquake” which shook the country and spread outside Malta.

As a result, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and more paid tribute to her and continued her investigations.

“When they killed her she was not left alone. When they assassinated her, her voice was not silenced but it became louder,” she said.

“Daphne is alive today in each and every one of us. Today we are Daphne's voice,” she said.

She said that Caruana Galizia was aware that corruption benefits the few and hurts the many, especially the vulnerable. That is why she chose to expose the corruption among politicians and businessmen because she understood that this was “rotting society.”

Metsola praised Daphne for using free journalism as a way to reveal the evils in society.

“Daphne's insistence on all this made her a European woman par excellence,” she said.

“She recognized that the light that lights up free journalism, extinguishes the darkness in which the dishonest lurk,” she said.

She mentioned how the European Parliament had voted in favour to have regulations within the European Union that protect journalists from intimidation, to protect them from SLAPP suits.

“The European Parliament is in favour of free journalism,” she said.

She also said that last month the Media Freedom Act was presented in European Parliament which among other things ensures that the state media must be independent and not be used to serve the ruling party. She said that the goal is to have this law in every European country.

Metsola said that the European Parliament will never forget Caruana Galizia. To commemorate her, the news conference hall is called, “Daphne Caruana Galizia Hall,” and also the Dedicated Journalism Award was launched in Caruana Galizia’s name.

Moving forward she said that there is still a lot more that needs to be achieved for righteousness, truth and justice to prevail.

“The victory will surely come for Daphne, for us and for Malta,” she said.

‘We need European legislation against the mafia’ – Giovanni Falcone’s sister

The vigil was also addressed by the sister of anti-mafia Judge Giovanni Falcone – who was murdered by the mafia in 1992.

Maria Falcone said that she considers Daphne Caruana Galizia to be a “moral sister”, “united by the same professional and human wills that animated Giovanni Falcone and with him Paolo Borsellino.”

Today there is an urgent need to continue the common social project of defeating the Mafia, which here as elsewhere exploits pain and fragility to enrich itself, for example with migrants, energy speculation, arms and drug trafficking, and through a system of corruption that is the basis of every Mafia policy, Falcone said.

“Today we urgently need new European legislation against the mafia, suitable for the confiscation of mafia assets in all member countries of the Union, alongside international cultural projects capable of bringing together beauty, art, schools, committed religious experiences and businesses in a concrete model of community unity,” she added.

“To remember Daphne, to remember Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, we must start again from here, from their sacrifice for all, for the Maltese, for Italians and for all free Europeans.” 

‘We will continue to fight for justice and keep Daphne’s message alive’ – Robert Aquilina

President of the civil society movement Repubblika, Robert Aquilina, also spoke.

He said that Repubblika will continue to meet and fight for justice to keep Caruana Galizia’s message alive.

 “We managed to get the most corrupt government in the history of our country out of Castille,” he said.

He said that this was possible because Repubblika fought in the Courts to open inquiries. He mentioned how it was Repubblika who submitted a report to the police to report the police to investigate former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

 

He encouraged the public to continue fighting and doing all that they can to give their children a future.

More to follow.