[WATCH] Flowers will not be cleared from Daphne Caruana Galizia’s makeshift memorial

Government workers have been instructed not to clear flowers and candles placed at the foot of the Great Siege monument by activists

The Great Siege monument in Valletta has been turned into a makeshift memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia (File photo)
The Great Siege monument in Valletta has been turned into a makeshift memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia (File photo)

Updated with Robert Abela comment

Flowers and candles placed at the foot of the Great Siege monument in Valletta to commemorate Daphne Caruana Galizia will not be removed by government workers, Robert Abela said.

The monument in front of the law courts has become a makeshift memorial for the slain journalist.

Every 16th of the month, activists and mourners hold a vigil there. However, candles, flowers and photos of the dead journalist placed there by activists have been regularly cleared up by government workers, acting on instructions from above.

"Instructions have been given for the monument not to be cleared of flowers and candles," a senior government source told MaltaToday.

Abela later confirmed with journalists that he had personally given instructions for the memorial not be cleared after tonight's vigil.

The move is a gesture of goodwill by the government.

One of the first tasks of Abela’s government is to send the right signals abroad that Malta is ready to tackle deficiencies linked to the rule of law and good governance.

Foreign critics of the rule of law in Malta, including MEPs and other European institutions have often highlighted the regular cleansing operations as a sign of hostility by the government towards the Caruana Galizia family and mourners of the late journalist.

Activists gather in Valletta today for another vigil. Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car bomb on 16 October 2017.

Three men are awaiting trial on accusations that they planted the bomb and detonated it. Another man, Yorgen Fenech, has been charged with masterminding the assassination. The compilation of evidence against Fenech is ongoing.