'Black Lives Matter in Malta – Justice for Lassana' protest on Monday

A demonstration will be held in front of Parliament on Monday, calling for justice in the case of Lassana Cisse.

The demonstration, on the theme “Black Lives Matter in Malta – Justice for Lassana” will take place in front of parliament in Valletta on Monday evening. The Aditus Foundation said it was supporting the event.

Ivorian national Lassana Cisse was murdered in April 2019 while walking home to Hal Far, when two young army soldiers, driving in a car, shot at him and two other black men. Lorin Scicluna and Francesco Fenech stand accused of having shot Cisse dead in cold blood, and are on bail after spending 8 months in custody.

Black Lives Matter is the rallying cry in protests that are attracting vast crowds abroad, with the United States currently convulsed by outrage at the racist murder of another black man, George Floyd and the heavy-handed police response to subsequent protests.

George Floyd, a 46-year-old bouncer, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a police officer, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck until he died while other police officers watched. Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, persisting even after Floyd was unresponsive, according to a criminal complaint released by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Chauvin is charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.