Artists, activists and civil society organisations gathered at Triton’s Fountain on Sunday for a Concert for Justice, calling for accountability over the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and demanding full implementation of the recommendations of the public inquiry into her killing.

Speakers from the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA), Movement Graffitti, Repubblika and Occupy Justice used the event to link artistic freedom with the wider struggle for democratic accountability, institutional independence and freedom of expression.

Speaking on behalf of MEIA, Nicole Debono said freedom of expression was “the foundation of every artistic work”, arguing that artists and journalists share a fundamental need to be able to question, express themselves and say things that may be uncomfortable to hear.

“Today, every song played on this stage is also an act of citizenship,” she said.

Debono said the creative sector had experienced a growing fear of speaking freely, particularly in a small country where professional opportunities and reputations can be vulnerable to pressure.

She urged artists to reject what she described as a “culture of silence”.

“The stage is your space of freedom. Use it,” she said, calling on artists to sing, write, paint, create and question without fear.

Debono also stressed that the protest was not an attack on the courts or the judicial process, but a call for strong and independent institutions capable of ensuring that everyone is held accountable before the law.

She called for the recommendations of the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination to be fully implemented, as well as effective legal tools against organised crime and corruption, real protection for journalists and whistleblowers, and independent public institutions.

Movement Graffitti representative Francesca Vella said the events surrounding the recent court verdict had left many people struggling to make sense of the situation.

She referred to the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech, who had been accused of ordering Caruana Galizia’s assassination, while arguing that the trial had nevertheless highlighted the close relationships between wealthy individuals, political figures and institutions.

Vella said the public inquiry had already established that the state had contributed to a culture of impunity that ultimately led to the journalist’s murder.

She pointed to what she described as continuing examples of this culture, including the position of Planning Authority chief executive Johann Buttigieg and allegations concerning communications between him and Fenech. She argued that such relationships raised questions about conflicts of interest and the influence of wealthy individuals over public institutions.

But Vella also emphasised that those attending the protest represented an alternative set of values.

“Look around you,” she said. “We are all surrounded by people who believe there are principles much more important than money.”

She argued that justice, democracy and institutions serving the entire population should take precedence over wealth and political connections.

Addressing those who might question the combination of a concert and a protest, Vella cited activist Emma Goldman’s well-known phrase: “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.”

The idea that music and joy can form part of resistance was also central to the event, she said, describing the celebration of music and dance as an important part of political and civic resistance.

Repubblika representative Paula Fleri Soler said the protest was about exercising the right to assemble, speak out and refuse to forget.

She stressed that the demonstration was not directed against the jurors or intended to challenge the verdict through street protest.

But, she argued, one criminal trial could not resolve all of Malta’s outstanding questions concerning Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

“Who created the climate in which a journalist could be killed because she was exposing corruption?” she asked. “Who protected the corrupt? Who failed to protect Daphne?”

Fleri Soler said the public inquiry had already found that the state bore responsibility for the culture of impunity surrounding the assassination, but that its conclusions had not been fully acted upon.

She called for all the inquiry’s recommendations to be implemented, including stronger protection for journalists, a police force free from political interference, making abuse of public office a criminal offence, and stronger laws targeting organised crime, criminal association and obstruction of justice.

“Justice is not only a list of laws,” she said. “Justice means institutions that serve people, not the governing party.”

She also called for public officials to be held accountable for their actions and criticised what she described as attempts to protect officials despite evidence of corrupt behaviour.

“These are not extreme demands,” she said. “They are the minimum demanded by a democracy worthy of its name.”

Occupy Justice representative Becky D’Ugo focused on what she described as a recurring culture of political evasion when officials are asked to account for serious decisions.

She contrasted the elaborate ceremonies held to inaugurate public projects with the answers often given when questions are asked about who knew what, who made decisions and who held power.

“‘I don’t know.’ ‘They didn’t tell me.’ ‘I don’t remember.’ ‘It wasn’t me. It was my predecessor,’” she said, describing these responses as a familiar refrain.

D’Ugo also referred to former prime minister Joseph Muscat’s comments following the recent verdict in the Fenech case, criticising what she portrayed as a pattern in which political responsibility was avoided.

She recalled evidence given during the trial by former aide Kenneth Camilleri, who said that when he went to speak to Muscat years earlier, Muscat had told him, before hearing what he wanted to say, that it was “better not to know”.

D’Ugo argued that there was no longer any justification for avoiding responsibility for the state’s failures following the conclusions of the public inquiry, published in 2021.

The inquiry, she said, had clearly identified failures by the state to protect Caruana Galizia and described a culture of impunity in which political power, money, corruption and criminality had become intertwined.

She criticised the government for failing to fully implement the inquiry's recommendations, highlighting measures including unexplained wealth orders, legislation concerning interference with investigations, abuse of public office and anti-mafia legislation.

“Five years later, the vast majority of the recommendations have still not been implemented, while others have only been partially implemented,” she said.

D’Ugo also referred to the Council of Europe’s continuing scrutiny of Malta’s progress in implementing reforms arising from the Caruana Galizia case.

“The ‘I don’t know’, the ‘I don’t remember’, the ‘they didn’t tell me’ and the ‘it wasn’t me’ have been going around us for long enough,” she said.

Concluding her speech, D’Ugo turned the imagery of political ribbon-cutting ceremonies into a call for accountability.

“Instead of cutting ribbons, cut the excuses,” she said.

The event featured musical performances from Brikkuni, Storm Petrelle, Skimmed/Superlove, Edgar Allan Paul, CHILD, Karmaġenn, Justin & Noah, Beangrowers, Bruda, REA x Funky Monkey, BILA, and MYLES.