Martyrs of the ‘Sette Giugno’:

Emmanuel Attard from Sliema

Giuseppe Bajada from Xagħra, Gozo.

Carmelo Abela from Valletta

Lorenzo Dyer, the son of Enrico, known as ‘Tal-Block’ from Vittoriosa, was one of the four victims of the "Sette Giugno" disturbances of 7 and 8 June 1919.

On Sataurday, 7 June 1919, crowds, among which were university students and dockyard workers gathered near the Giovine Malta, Valletta to greet the delegates of the Assemblea as they arrived and entered for the meeting. The angry mob was directed towards the offices of the Daily Malta Chronicle in Old Theatre Street, a pro British newspaper which took the side of British Imperial interests. Nothing could stop the angry multitude, they pushed the front door and commenced a frenzy of destruction until the building was entirely gutted and set on fire. 

The crowd directed its attention to the house of Francesco Azzopardi, who was accused of having sold his soul to the local British Government. Here again, after having broken the door, anything inside was thrown into the street. The crowd, around 2000, now raced to Old Bakery Street towards the house of Antonio Cassar Torregiani, the grain importer and president of the Flour Control Board. He was accused of making himself rich by profiteering. His house at 192 Old Bakery Street was practically ransaked.

At around 6 p.m. a group of ten soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Shields were sent to the Daily Malta Chronicle. In order to disperse the crowd while exiting the building, Shields ordered the soldiers to fire in a bonfire of furniture and other items which had been carried outside the premises, near the Europa Bar. One of the shots hit the head of Lorenzo Dyer from Vittoriosa, who was standing near the fountain at the corner of St George’s Square opposite the Chronicle, seemingly with his back to the building, and he died a few moments later in the square, covered in a Maltese flag which he had around his neck. A Maltese doctor who tried to assist was told off by a British soldier at the Main Guard. Dyer was quickly transported to the hospital. The Maltese gathered around the pool of blood and abused verbally the British soldiers in sight.

During this mayhem, the meeting of the Assemblea was ongoing and apparently the delegates inside were at first unaware of what was goning on around them in Valletta.

The other victims killed on the same day were Emmanuel Attard from Sliema and Giuseppe Bajada from Xagħra, Gozo. The following day another person, Carmelo Abela from Valletta was seriously injured by a soldier’s bayonet during the riots and died 15 days later.

On 8 June the Comitato Nazionale pro Maltesi morti e feriti il 7 e 8 Giugno was immediately set up to raise funds for the families of the injured and dead. The family of Lorenzo Dyer received ₤203 by way of compensation from the committee.

On the afternoon of 9 June Lorenzo Dyer, Emmanuele Attard, and Giuseppe Bajada were buried at the Addolorata Cemetery.The funeral was attended by thousands and they were buried as heroes.

Dyers’ remains were buried on 9 November 1924 in a grave on which a monument to the design of Ġanni Vella* and sculpture of Boris Edwards and Ġużè Abela, was set up and inaugurated on 8 June 1925 at the Addolorata Cemetery, Paola.

A ‘Sette Giugno’ monument the work of sculptor Anton Agius* was inaugurated at St. George's Square, Valletta, on 7 June 1986. Lorenzo Dyer with the other victims had his name inscribed on this monument.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.