Repubblika president Vicki Ann Cremona has accused the Valletta Local Council of refusing to engage with the organisation over its request to display posters commemorating assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, warning that obstacles to public expression can gradually undermine democratic rights.

Addressing an event at City Gate on Saturday, Cremona said the organisation had applied, as it had done in previous years, to display two large posters bearing the message "Justice Requires Action" ahead of the ninth anniversary of Caruana Galizia's assassination on 16 October 2017.

She said the council had rejected the application on the grounds that the whole of Valletta was reserved for Notte Bianca and Valletta Summit activities between 1 and 6 October.

Repubblika subsequently requested a meeting to discuss a possible solution and proposed alternative prominent locations in the capital, but received no response, Cremona said.

She added that concerns about public safety and alleged damage caused by banners in the past had been raised only after the controversy became public. According to Cremona, no complaint about damage had previously been made concerning the posters displayed by Repubblika.

She said the organisation was prepared to discuss the location, installation, removal and any safety conditions required, arguing that public authorities should not use regulations to make it impossible to express a message they might find uncomfortable.

"Justice Requires Action," she said, was about much more than two posters. Repeated refusals, unanswered emails and the unwillingness to discuss alternatives could gradually discourage citizens from exercising their rights, she argued.

Cremona said Caruana Galizia had been assassinated after years of reporting on corruption, abuse of power and impunity. The public inquiry into her murder had identified serious state failings and a culture of impunity surrounding the time of the assassination, she noted, adding that the country's efforts to learn from what happened remained unfinished.

She called for effective institutions, protection for journalists and whistleblowers, investigations into corruption, and greater institutional independence and accountability.

Remembering Caruana Galizia once a year was not enough, she said, insisting that citizens must also defend public spaces where they can criticise authorities, protest and demand accountability.

Repubblika, Moviment Graffitti and #occupyjustice are organising a concert for justice in Valletta on Sunday, followed by a discussion on democratic and constitutional renewal on 10 October and an event on the right to truth on 15 October.

Commemorative events will also take place on 16 October, including a gathering in Bidnija, a Mass at St Francis Church and a main memorial event near Parliament.

Cremona urged the public to participate, arguing that democracy depended on citizens making their voices heard.