They gathered today in Valletta for a peaceful demonstration of solidarity with Libya and the Libyans. They gathered to send a clear message to Muammar – Free Libya! There were Libyans and there were Maltese. There were politicians and there were journalists and opinion columnists and bloggers. And there were also members of Malta’s Moviment Graffiti. The Moviment members had prepared banners among which were banners with a photo of Malta’s Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi embracing Muammar Gaddafi. Under the photo was the word SHAME. Another picture-less banner combined the names of Joseph Muscat and Lawrence Gonzi before the word SHAME.
The Moviment message was clear. They were not only showing their solidarity with the Libyan people but also expressing their thoughts on the leaders of this country who have entertained the Libyan oppressor in the past. Being the aggressive youth that they are they were more intent on “shaming” the leaders than on hanging their own heads in shame in the name of all the Maltese people who went along with their leaders. But hey – it’s their banner, their expression….
Enter the gurus of Maltese journalistic scene Lou Bondi and Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Times reports that they “protested immediately”. Against what exactly? Bondi is seen in the video telling an activist that “Qed tgerrex in-nies” (You are sending people away). What people exactly? People who cannot bear to be reminded that even their leaders coaxed the Libyan leader and did business with him? Who wants that kind of people in the protest anyway. Surely Daphne will agree. After all she has spent much of the last part of February reminding us of Labour’s not too cosy bedding with Muammar.
What sorry excuse were we to hear now? That the protest is in Solidarity with the Libyan people? Is that the same Libyan people that feel betrayed by the west and its governments and the dealings they have had with the oil rich nation to the detriment of its citizens? Is the solidarity just words? What bullshit.
Andrew Borg Cardona piled on the venom from his blog in the Times:
Would I have joined my friends Lou Bondi and Daphne Caruana Galizia in protesting at Moviment Graffiti’s cheap, childish, hypocritical, myopic and generally revolting little stunt? Their stunt cheapened not only Graffiti themselves, if cheapening what is now obviously worthless is even possible, but diluted, even if only very slightly, the cause they were pretending to uphold.
I’m still waiting for my comment on that particular blog post to appear but I’m not holding my breath. Childish, hypocritical, myopic? I wonder who’s who.
