Four to be arraigned for property damage

Illegal immigrants pelted the police with broken glass, pieces of wood and other objects, including sour milk, when they went on a rampage at the police depot in Floriana on Tuesday, it was learned yesterday.

Four of them are expected to be charged in court shortly, accused with damaging government property and with injuring a policeman, police sources said.

The police had no comments to make on Tuesday night but a statement issued by police headquarters yesterday about the disturbance reflected the gravity of the situation which left two police officers injured, one of them seriously.

Reinforcements had to be called in from all police units, such was the seriousness of the situation.

The police said the illegal immigrants started their disturbance at around 7.30 p.m. because they objected to one of their compatriots being detained after he had unsuccessfully tried to flee from the detention centre at the headquarters on Monday.

Some 150 male illegal immigrants, who hail from Somalia, Libya, Iraq, Eritrea, Palestine, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, became violent.

They broke glass and threw objects at the officers guarding them - including broken glass, wood, iron and sour milk in plastic bottles.

Some of the illegal immigrants broke a glass frame over a door at the CID yard and managed to get out into the yard, the police said.

Reinforcements were then called in from the Special Assignment Group, the Mobile and Traffic squads, district police and others while the police at the headquarters did their best to calm the situation.

But the police said that "efforts at times proved futile".

The policemen at the detention centre, who were in riot gear, were also joined by Police Commissioner John Rizzo.

The police said that illegal immigrants continued to throw at them whatever came to their hands. The police regained control of the situation only when the reinforcements arrived and they took the illegal immigrants back to the centre.

An Iraqi immigrant was heard telling the police that "this is just the beginning".

During the disturbance, Qormi district officer Robert Azzopardi suffered head injuries when he was hit with part of a bed frame. He was taken to the Health Centre for stitches. Another officer was also slightly injured.

Five police cars which were parked close to the detention centre were also damaged.

Two ambulances were on standby by outside the headquarters late on Tuesday night as police inside were on high alert against a possible repeat of the violence. The inner iron gate leading to the headquarters was locked.

The situation returned to normal at around 11 p.m. The police then searched the immigrants and the centre for items which could be used as weapons.

The police said they did not use force and managed to calm the situation through persuasion. No illegal immigrants were injured.

A platoon of about 30 SAG officers were yesterday still keeping guard.

The immigrant who tried to flee is still under detention.