Over 5,000 people have signed a petition calling on the police not to take disciplinary action against a police constable after a video she filmed of herself dancing in uniform became a viral meme.  

The petition says that the video was filmed by constable Francesca Zahra “to cheer people up”. It calls on people to sign the petition so that “no action is taken against her”.

Two video clips, which first appeared on video-sharing app TikTok and have since been removed, feature Zahra, 27, in a police uniform dancing while seated at a desk. They quickly made their way to WhatsApp and were shared widely on Monday. 

Stills from the viral meme that showed the constable dancing at her desk.

As the evening progressed, the clips were used to poke fun at police inaction to a large gathering on the Floriana Granaries, where Floriana FC supporters gathered to celebrate the Premier League title – ignoring health authorities’ coronavirus restrictions.

On Tuesday morning Neil Buhagiar, who moderates Facebook meme group Malta Pastizziposting, received a call from a woman who identified herself as a police officer.

She told him to remove content featuring the dancing officer or face police action against the group. Buhagiar said he removed the videos because the request felt legitimate, as he was contacted on a mobile number that is not publicly available.  

A spokesperson for the police said that after the video went viral, the police’s internal affairs unit started looking into the matter.

The investigation was also looking into allegations that someone from the police force called Buhagiar and demanded the removal of the meme  - something that could amount to abuse of power. 

“Kindly be informed that investigations are underway and the police cannot divulge any information on ongoing investigations… The police force did not order anyone, other than the officer concerned, to remove the video from any social media platforms. An investigation into these allegations is also underway,” the spokesperson said.