Do you remember how protests started in Valletta and other urban centres of Malta on November 20, 2019, mainly calling for resignations after alleged political links to the assassination of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia surfaced following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech? The protesters also targeted government corruption and the lack of action on money laundering. The protests consisted of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and civil disobedience and were unprecedented in Malta's political history.
Since then, we have had further protests.
In January 2022, hundreds protested against the COVID-19 measures, chanting "freedom", "libertà," and "no green passes" as they walked down Republic Street in Valletta. It was the latest in a number of similar protests that took place during the weeks before, when people protested against the compulsory use of vaccination certificates for certain activities.
In June 2022, a group of Valletta residents protested in front of parliament against a legal notice allowing for establishments to play music until 1am in several streets in Valletta, including some residential areas. The group, named ‘Residenti Beltin’ and organised by Billy McBee, gathered in front of parliament with signs appealing for the revocation of the legal notice, which saw the curfew time extended from 11pm to 1am. Some of the signs called for ‘bringing back dignity, respect, and law enforcement in Valletta.’ Some said that residents do not want Valletta to turn into another Paceville. One claimed that stakeholders were the only ones consulted regarding the legal notice, leaving out residents.
In August 2022, the protests against the yacht marina in Marsascala continued as hundreds convened in the area, wielding powerful signs and showcasing their disapproval of the plans. Opposed by civil society, NGOs, and residents of Wied il-Għajn and other localities, the plans were not only criticised for ‘taking away the sea from residents" but also for not being consulted on any level with the local council or inhabitants.
In September 2022, a crowd of several hundred shouted pro-choice slogans at the biggest rally of its kind to be held in Malta so far. A counter-protest organised by a coalition of anti-abortion organisations attracted significantly fewer people.
Some of those present shouted slogans such as "Banal laws do not make us criminals," "Not church, not state, a woman’s right is not a crime," and "safe, free, and legal" as drummers provided rhythm to the march. Pro-choice activist Lara Dimitrijevic said the message was becoming louder and clearer that change was needed.
In November 2022, protestors gathered outside the police headquarters in Floriana, asking who would take responsibility for Bernice Cassar's murder. The protest came three days after the femicide of Cassar, a mother of two who was shot dead as she was driving to her office.
Protestors carried placards reading "you know what you did", "no more femicide", and "min se jwieġeb ghal dawn il femiċidji?" (who will answer for these femicides?) while others held photos of Cassar. They then marched from the police headquarters towards Valletta, chanting "no more femicides", "we won't be silenced," and "stop femicides" as they walked.
The crowd came to a halt outside the parliament building in Valletta, where the chants and demands for accountability continued.
In December 2022, several thousand people took to the streets of Valletta to protest against a bill that they warned could legalise abortion by stealth. Protestors gathered at Castille Square and placed a huge poster of a newborn baby on the steps leading up to the Prime Minister’s office. "Viva l-ħajja, le għall-abort (long live life, no to abortion)," the protestors chanted as people from all walks of life filled the square.
In March 2023, there was a protest called by the PN in the wake of the court judgment striking down the deal that handed three state hospitals to Vitals/Steward and which was joined by the UĦM Voice of the Workers trade union. On the day in question, a large crowd filled Parliament Square during the protest, demanding a number of national hospitals be given back to the people.
A second protest was called after the Auditor General’s Report confirmed the historic hospitals sentence. Again, a large crowd of protesters flocked to the venue.
In May 2023, Labour mayors, NGOs, and thousands of others joined forces in a national protest as they desperately appealed to the government to stop prioritising "money and greed" and to put an end to the overdevelopment that is ruining this country.
In June of last year, animal rights activists delivered an open letter to the Prime Minister in a protest outside Castille. They protested a range of animal rights issues, including dolphins being kept in captivity, the use of horses for traditional carts, and the slaughter of animals for meat consumption.
A month later, mounting public protests forced the prime minister to succumb to pressure to call a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia's tragic death.
What were the causes of those protests? Why do they appear to be on the rise and clustered in time, as in "waves," and which dynamics play a role in people’s participation in them? Why do protests sometimes provoke harsh governmental responses and, at other times, concessions? Are protests a symptom of democracy in action or democracy in crisis?
Along with petitions and initiatives, citizens have used street demonstrations to bring grievances before the public and make claims against governments for centuries. And although public, open-air meetings have long been deployed by political parties and labour unions, open-air demonstrations are now increasingly used by less tightly organised sets of citizens and residents, including people who take part alongside friends and family, as members of neighbourhood groups, or even as a result of their own initiative.
Peaceful protests are a way for ordinary people to have their voices heard. Inherent power imbalances in society can result in people feeling marginalised and disenfranchised. Non-violent civil movements can offer anyone the opportunity to become involved and have a voice. It is this power that continues to drive activists to the streets to pursue change.
It appears that a new era of political flux is emerging as citizens demand more from their government and mobilise in pursuit of their demands. The costs of abstention mount when one feels that much is at stake in a given protest.
Dr Mark Said is a lawyer