‘Metsola has blood on her hands’: demonstrators decry Israel visit by EP president

A demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian people was convened Saturday outside the House of Representatives in Valletta.

The protest was organised by a group of youths and members of the Arab community in Malta, with activists from Moviment Graffitti and the Palestinian ambassador endorsing it.

Graffitti activist Andre Callus was vocal in his criticism of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who was one of the first European leaders to visit Israel after the 7 October attacks by the Islamic militia Hamas, albeit at the invitation of the Knesset.

“We’re seeing a genocide happening in front of our eyes, live on Facebook, we’re seeing it happening live,” Callus said. “And they continue supporting them, they continue getting blood on their hands,” he shouted, referring to the show of solidarity for Israel and frequent exhortations to Israel’s right to self-defence.

“There are a lot of people complicit in this, but myself as a Maltese, I have to name a particular person who has made me feel ashamed,” Callus said, naming EP president Roberta Metsola.

“This didn’t start on the 7th of October,” Callus said referring to Israeli leadership and its continued occupation of Gaza, which remains under siege by Israel since 2008. “They had already killed thousands of Palestinians, they had already gone to Gaza and killed thousands of children... I hope that she realises the responsibility she has in all of this. Maybe she went there to take photos, but now she’s ended up with blood on her hands.”