It’s either robbers who want to decorate their houses with anti-discrimination designer posters, or else it’s someone who can’t stand the idea of diversity along the Sliema waterfront.
All but three of the 25 European Commission posters exhibited outdoors have been stolen in the last three weeks, forcing the organisers to remove the remaining ones and to think again before holding a similar event here.
“We had to take the remaining ones away as it no longer made sense,” said Beate Jeska, public relations executive at Media Consulta, that is in charge of the event on behalf of the European Commission. “It was worth a try anyway and an experience for the future.”
Until last week, nine posters had been swiped from Sliema but in a couple of days, another 13 posters were also stolen.
The posters, designed by young artists from all over Europe, are the finalists of the Breaking Stereotypes competition and were meant to remain hosted in Sliema until 8 October before touring schools.
Sliema mayor Marina Arrigo said: “We can’t say if it is robbery or vandalism, but it’s surely a stupid act that deprives the public of these exhibits. After this we can say they’re not just targeting the dog signs.”
The council does not involve itself with the surveillance of exhibitions held along the promenade, the mayor added.
The posters can be viewed online and ordered on www.stop-discrimination.info/7359.0.html.
The “Breaking Stereotypes” Poster Competition forms part of the wider “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” information campaign, launched by the European Commission to promote the benefits of diversity and to raise awareness of EU-wide rules to combat discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation.