After Graffitti censorship, backlash from V18 boss Micallef on Facebook

The former chairman of Malta’s European Capital of Culture foundation and one-time Labour secretary-general, Jason Micallef, has once again taken to social media to punch down on critics of the administration.

Micallef, now chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency and chairman of Labour’s One Productions, took issue with Graffitti’s lampooning of transport minister Ian Borg during the University of Malta’s Freshers Week, with a sarcastic Facebook status.

“It’s good that university students exercise their right to protest,” he said, posting one of the press reports of the muzzling of Moviment Graffitti’s stunt by university security guards.

“These are only the same students who months ago took over the university sporting facilities to use it as a car park for their own comfort, since they are indeed so environmentally conscious and against air pollution!!”

It does not seem that Micallef was referring to any particular incident concerning Graffitti as an organisation.

On Facebook, Moviment Graffitti was quick to reply, saying it had nothing to do with the parking space issue. “Micallef’s statement is an outright lie, for which he should apologise, but no high hopes there. As a former PL secretary general, Micallef will know that Moviment Graffitti has been consistent about the environment: he will remember us marching against the golf course together with other NGOs back when Labour was in Opposition, among others.

“The PL, again with Micallef in its ranks, had also given us their support in our fight against censorship when, under a Nationalist administration, Mark Camilleri and Alex Vella Gera were sued for publishing a short novel on Realtà. We cannot be faulted for being consistent. Maybe it’s a lapse in Micallef’s memory, maybe some vitamins will help.”

Mark Camilleri, the chairman of the National Book Council – how ten years ago suffered the brunt of the University’s censorship when he was criminally charged with obscenity – intervened in the Facebook chat, telling Micallef his statement was untrue.

“These are not the same students and you know it. I don’t expect this kind of comment from someone who has always spoken against gossip and disrepute. Let’s not all put government critics into the same bag,” Camilleri said.

Micallef doubled down. “Consistency for me is a principle. Haven’t you forgotten how the university ground turned into a students’ parking space?”

Yet only last week, the University of Malta filed an application for an underground car park providing 1,023 parking spaces, and 3,700 sq.m of commercial facilities, beneath a proposed sports complex. Gzira mayor Conrad Borg Manché insisted on a firm commitment that the parking facilities will be approved. “We have always insisted that the permit for sports facilities should only be issued if carpark facilities are incorporated in the project,” he said.

The proposed sports complex at the university was approved with a condition stipulating that the part concerning the athletics track can only be executed if another application for an underground car park is approved.