Protestors marched down Republic street in Valletta on Thursday evening, advocating for a clean Malta.

The protest, organised by Repubblika and endorsed by 21 other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), began with a march from the Parliament building and ended in front of the Law Courts. The march saw several chants from the disgruntled public; these ranged from cries for justice, to "Mafia!", shouts in support of the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, and other cries to send those complicit in the fraudulent hospitals deal to prison.

There were eight speakers who spoke during the demonstration - Megan Mallia (Daphne Caruana Galizia's niece); Repubblika and Occupy Justice activist Pia Zammit; Norman Vella; KNŻ National Officer Sarah Xuereb; Moviment Graffitti's Robert Louis Fenech; Repubblika President Vicki Ann Cremona; KSU President Luke Bonanno; and Repubblika's honorary President, Robert Aquilina.

Caruana Galizia's niece, Mallia, opened the speeches by telling those in attendance that one thought has failed to escape her for the last six and a half years, particularly during this past week: "What would my aunt be thinking today?". She said she wishes she could see her aunt's reaction to Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri criminally charged, amongst everyone else who were called by the Courts.

She said that Daphne had started reporting on the hospitals concession in 2015. "That's nearly a decade ago."

Mallia stressed that justice must be sought for Daphne and every single one of her stories.

She said that her aunt was killed for investigating corruption. "But she hasn't been silenced."

Pia Zammit - an activist from both Repubblika and Occupy Justice - said that "Daphne was right". She highlighted how the investigative journalist had initially sniffed out something wrong in the infamous hospitals deal nearly a full decade ago, back in March, 2015.

Repubblika's Honorary President Robert Aquilina reminded Prime Minister Robert Abela that he is Malta's Prime Minister first and foremost, urging him to change course from his recent actions. "Prime Minister ... remember that you are also our Prime Minister."

"Prime Minister, we urge you to change course."

 "This is a moment of truth in our country's history," Aquilina said, adding that four and a half years ago, the same crowd ousted from power former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who Aquilina said took under his hands the country's institutions and manipulated them for his own purposes.

Aquilina said that six months ago in May 2019, Repubblika took another significant step to "cleanse the country from deceit and abuse."

He said that it had finally reached a point where the inquiry it initiated resulted in charges brought against Muscat, and others, but also said that Muscat is currently attempting to evade the consequences of his actions, launching an "obscene campaign of manipulation and hostility against our country's Courts."

"What's worse is that our country has a Prime Minister named Robert Abela - who in his oath of office swore to uphold and fulfil his duties impartially and without bias or favour - but is doing the opposite," Aquilina said.

He said that due to Muscat's vicious attacks on the country's institutions, Abela has succumbed to Muscat's pressure, and due to his weakness, he chooses to echo and even intensify Muscat's attacks, instead of defending honest citizens.

"We see a Prime Minister viciously attacking the judiciary. And because Maltese journalists are standing up for their rights and holding them accountable...they are also being targeted and put in danger," Aquilina said.

Vella also said that according to the Court, his sacking was "unjustifiable in a truly democratic society."

He said that politics should only be used as a tool to work for the common good, and never for revenge or to punish journalists, workers, and state functionaries who do not cave in to intimidation and threats.

Vella called for his victory to also be a cry of a single united people, irrespective of their political affiliations, against political discrimination.

"This judgement is also a certificate of disgrace that Joseph Muscat has collected," Vella said. He described this to be just one certificate of a shameful myriad that Muscat has amalgamated over recent years, such as the one he was given through the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination, which he said found the Government guilty of paralyzing the country's institutions.

KNZ national officer Sarah Xuereb said that the attacks on the judiciary and journalists are "rooted in one our country's biggest weaknesses - partisan politics."

"The unwavering allegiance to political parties and political leaders, without any ounce of critical thinking, is undermining the very fabric of our democratic society. As a country we can never move forward if for the sake of partisanship, we allow those in power to act without any form of accountability.", she said.

Xuereb said that Malta's judiciary represent the democratic values of justice and equality.

"We must never question the independence, impartiality and capability of our judiciary, as when each and every one of us takes the stand under oath - we are all equal in front of the eyes of the law. Therefore, we need to fully support the judiciary in their work, as if we turn our courts into the enemy, there is no going back."

On journalists, Xuereb is urging the government to implement "the necessary legal safeguards for journalists who are just trying to carry out their work." She is also urging the youth refuse to stand idle in the face of adversity, to secure a better present and future.

Moviment Graffitti's Robert Louis Fenech addressed PM Abela, telling him to let the institutions work and that he should never undermine the judiciary "to protect those who frauded the Maltese and the country."

Fenech then said that Moviment Graffitti heavily disagrees with the privatisation of the health sector, saying that public healthcare should never fall into these hands.

Repubblika President Vicki Ann Cremona said that Abela simply needs to walk into St. Luke's Hospital to observe that Muscat and his administration left it to become a giant dovecote for nearby pigeons.

Then condemning Abela, Cremona shut down his comments that the magisterial inquiry should have been completed in 60 days.

She then called out the rest of the cabinet at the time, questioning how no-one stopped this from happening. Cremona argued that "they're either all idiots" who failed to recognise what was occurring around them, "or else, they're thieves too," she stated.

KSU President Luke Bonanno reiterated Xuereb's non-partisan call to unite and shield the rule of law on the Maltese islands.

Bonanno said that Prime Minister Robert Abela expects citizens to be silent "as we angrily witness the country's institutions continue to be disrespected and treated like a game by the government."

He then made reference to the Governor of the Central Bank of Malta, Edward Scicluna, recalling the cry for him to resign from his post. He called out the irony in Scicluna's lack of resignation so far by quoting the Central Bank's website, which reads that "The Bank fulfils its statutory duties in the public interest and is committed to carrying out its functions effectively, efficient and economical, with the highest level of integrity, competence and transparency."

Bonanno moved on to PM Abela and his repeated references towards "the establishment". The KSU President said that, by dictionary definition, an establishment can be defined as "people who have the power to control a country."

He then stated that he cannot blame Abela for thinking he does not form part of this country's establishment, since his recent actions have indicated that he is being controlled and manipulated in what he does and says by those trying to protect themselves, he said.

The demonstration was organised by Repubblika and supported by the following 21 entities: UĦM The Voice of the Workers, aditus foundation, Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU), Occupy Justice, Vuċi Kollettiva, Fondazione Falcone, manueldelia.com, The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Għaqda Studenti tat-Teoloġija, SOS Malta, Moviment Graffitti, Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ), ICT Students' Association (ICTSA), Medical Biochemistry Students Assocation (MBSA), Media & Knowledge Sciences Association (MKSA), JEF Malta, SDM - Studenti Demokristjani Maltin, PEN Malta, Żgħażagħ Ħaddiema Nsara, Kopin, Victims Support Malta, and Blue Door Education.