Malta marks Sette Giugno

Malta has paid tribute to the victims of the Sette Giugno uprising, marking the national holiday with wreath-laying ceremonies in Valletta on Sunday.

President Myriam Spiteri Debono gathered in the capital on Sunday morning to honour Manwel Attard, Wenzu Dyer, Karistu Chetcuti and Karmenu Abela, the four men shot dead by British troops during protests on 7 June 1919.

Wreath-laying ceremony in Valletta on Sunday to mark Sette Giugno (Photo: DOI)

The day is widely seen as a turning point in Malta's path towards self-rule and democratic reform.

Prime Minister Robert Abela marked the occasion on social media, saying the victims were fellow Maltese who had paid with their lives. "An episode that moved forward the road towards the sovereignty and freedom of our people," he wrote.

The unrest of 1919 had deep roots. Maltese people were suffering under the weight of poverty, food shortages, and rising prices in the aftermath of the First World War. Anger at British colonial rule had been building for years, with nationalists pushing for greater autonomy and recognition of their language and culture.

When British soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters in Valletta, the public outcry that followed forced the colonial authorities to act. In the years after, a new constitution was introduced granting Malta a degree of self-government — a step that would eventually lead to full independence.

Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia (Photo: DOI)

Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia attended a separate flower-laying ceremony at the graves of the Sette Giugno victims at the Addolorata Cemetery in Paola.