'The fight for justice lives on': Thousands gather in Valletta five years after Caruana Galizia murder

Thousands gathered in Valletta on Sunday evening in a protest to mark five years since the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Protestors congregated in front of the Parliament Building at the Valletta gates, before marching towards Great Siege Square.

Five years ago, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb outside her Bidnija home.

The two men accused of being the triggermen in the fatal 2017 car bombing pleaded guilty last Friday, nine hours into the start of their murder trial, just two days short of the fifth-year anniversary of the assassination.

George Degiorgio, 58, known as iċ-Ċiniż and his brother Alfred Degiorgio, 56, known as il-Fulu, pleaded guilty shortly after the midday break at 3pm, reversing their earlier plea of not guilty.

They were sentenced to a 40-year prison sentence, after their lawyers consulted the Attorney General.

(Credit: James Bianchi/mediatoday)

Among those present were Nationalist leader Bernard Grech, Secretary General Michael Piccinino, PN General Council President Mark Anthony Sammut and a number of PN MPs. 

‘Her weapon was journalism’ – Roberta Metsola

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola was the first to address the protest, saying Daphne Caruana Galizia was always led by the principle “of doing what is right.”

“They made you suffer, and the more you hurt, the more they enjoyed it,” she told the slain journalist’s family who were among those protesting.

Metsola said Caruana Galizia fought against corruption because “she realised that corruption destroys from within.”

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (Credit: James Bianchi/mediatoday)

“Her weapon was journalism, because she realised its power in unveiling corruption,” she said.

“We are here to send a clear signal: we believe in this cause… we believe it’s a cause that is winning,” she said.

She called on those present to be “courageous.” “Don’t give up now. Be inspired by what we have already achieved. There is still a lot for us to work on to ensure truth and justice,” Metsola said.

‘She was killed because she investigated corruption’ – Robert Aquilina

Repubblika President Robert Aquilina insisted civil society will continue to fight to “keep Daphne alive.”

“We need to ensure justice for the corruption she revealed and was killed for,” Aquilina told protestors in Valletta.

“We will never get tired of saying that Daphne was killed because of corruption… corruption orchestrated in Castille… corruption which was carried out under the watch and complicity of Joseph Muscat,” Aqulina said.

Looking back at the past five years, Aquilina mentioned the group’s achievements in their fight for justice.

“We managed to kickout from Castille the most corrupt government in our country’s history,” he said. “Today Joseph Muscat streams videos from his washroom, complaining that the magistrate ordered the seizure of his mobiles.”

He said it was Repubblika who insisted on the investigation into the Vitals contract, and it was the NGO which filed the report for Joseph Muscat to be investigated.

Repubblika President Robert Aquilina (Credit: James Bianchi/mediatoday(

Aquilina said that five years after Daphne’s death, the country is still ruled by “a corrupt system” with people set on disrupting the judicial process.

The NGO President also praised what he called rightful individuals within the country’s institutions. “To these true servants to the Maltese state, I tell you that we will continue protecting you and supporting you.”

He said history will remember those who “despite everything fought for truth and justice.”

“We know we are right; we know Daphne was right, and we will be proven right,” he concluded.

‘Daphne a Maltese hero’ - Louise Vassallo

Louise Vassallo from Occupy Justice also addressed those present, slamming the Prime Minister for refusing to attend the silent vigil held on Sunday afternoon.

Abela said he won’t be attending any of the Daphne Caruana Galizia memorial events occurring over the weekend on the anniversary of her death, insisting he has shown only respect from January 2020 onwards to both the journalist’s family and her memory.

“Your way is nice eh! Invisible! Inexistent!” Vassallo said.

Louise Vassallo from Occupy Justice (Photo credit: James Bianchi/mediatoday)

She said that as leader of the largest political force in the country, a small gesture could have inspired his followers.

“You have the duty to ensure that the dirty strategy and tactics implemented to discredit the best investigative journalist the country ever had are stopped once and for all,” she said.

She also said that he should implement a resolution in which he accepts all interviews by independent media. “Only then can we start speaking about the so called national unity.”

‘We won’t give up’ - Pavol Szalai from Reporters Without Borders

Pavol Szalai from Reporters Without Borders said Maltese politicians were supposed to learn a lesson, “yet they adhere to a system that allowed for the worst to happen.”

“We expect the government to act in the public interest, but it does so only under pressure, Szalai said. “Even the European Union has adopted new measures and proposed new legislation drawing a lesson from the case of Daphne.”

Pavol Szalai, Reporters Without Borders

“Those who don’t care about press freedom would like us to remain satisfied with what has already been achieved. Those who wish to silence critical reporting, would like to see us give up.”

“But we won’t. As Daphne said when asked in her last recorded interview why she continues working as a journalist despite all the threats: ‘I really hate to give up.’” Szalai said. “And we won’t either.”