Thousands of people filled Valletta on Wednesday evening in a powerful public call for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia, greater accountability and stronger, cleaner governance in Malta.
The crowd gathered near Parliament before moving through the capital towards Great Siege Square, opposite the law courts and the memorial to the murdered journalist. Placards, chants and speeches repeatedly returned to the same themes: justice, accountability, stronger institutions, protection for journalists and an end to what protesters described as impunity.
A crowd focused on more than one court case
The demonstration took place two weeks after a jury acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of charges connected to the assassination of Caruana Galizia. The nine-member jury returned an 8–1 not-guilty verdict on charges including complicity in her wilful homicide and criminal association. Fenech had denied the allegations against him.
That verdict remains the legal outcome of the trial. But the demonstration showed that, for many of those who attended, the wider questions surrounding Daphne’s assassination and the functioning of Malta’s institutions have not gone away.
People interviewed at the protest spoke about corruption, accountability, the rule of law and the kind of country they want future generations to inherit. The recurring demand was not simply for another courtroom outcome, but for institutions that people can trust to act independently and effectively.
Nearly nine years after Daphne’s assassination
Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb near her home in Bidnija on 16 October 2017. Several people involved in carrying out and producing the bomb have been convicted and are serving prison sentences. However, no person has been convicted of commissioning the assassination.
For 107 months, activists and civil society groups have continued to gather on the 16th of each month in her memory and to call for truth and justice. This month’s vigil became a much larger solidarity protest, with thousands answering the call to attend.
The scale of Wednesday’s gathering made one thing clear: a substantial number of people still want answers, institutional accountability and reforms they believe are necessary to strengthen public trust in Malta’s system of governance.
Calls for stronger institutions and journalist protection
Speakers and organisations supporting the demonstration also renewed calls for recommendations from the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination to be implemented, alongside stronger protections for journalists and whistleblowers and legislation aimed at organised crime.
The issue also continued to draw attention at European level. Earlier on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Commission would remain vigilant over the case and stressed that the pursuit of justice following Caruana Galizia’s murder was not over.
A peaceful but unmistakable message
The scenes in Valletta were striking not because of any single placard or speech, but because of the number of people who chose to turn up. The capital was filled with people of different ages and backgrounds, many standing shoulder to shoulder as music, speeches and chants carried through the streets.
People will continue to hold different views about individual cases, political responsibility and what reforms should follow. What Wednesday’s demonstration documented clearly, however, was a large public demand for justice, accountability and confidence that Malta’s institutions work in the public interest.
Nearly nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered, thousands once again filled Valletta to say that the questions surrounding justice, accountability and clean governance remain very much alive.