The Syrian community in Malta has disassociated itself from a 25-person brawl that left two men hospitalised on Thursday and condemned all forms of violence that occurred.  

The police’s Rapid Intervention Unit had to intervene on Thursday afternoon, after an argument between two Syrian men escalated into a full-blown brawl that saw bins being thrown, wooden poles swung and knives brandished in St Joseph High Street and Fra Diegu Square in Ħamrun. 

In a statement on Friday, the NGO Syrian Solidarity in Malta condemned the violence and expressed their gratitude for being welcomed in Malta, given that many Syrian nationals are in the country seeking asylum from the Syrian civil war. 

“As a Syrian community, we are committed to living in peace in Maltese society, with respect and obedience towards the laws of Malta,” they said. 

“Syrians in Malta are grateful for the hospitality offered to us by the Maltese, as the majority of us are here after having asked for asylum due to the fact that our country is not in a state that allows us to live safely.”

The community invited the government to work hand-in-hand to create more opportunities for integration into Maltese society. 

“We invite Maltese authorities to meet us so we can discuss and move forward to promote the wellbeing of all.” 

“We reiterate that there should not be generalisations about the whole community because of the actions of a few individuals.” 

Violence in the streets

A video of the incident on Thursday shows district police officers struggling to contain the fight, as several men fought each other in the street, some swinging wooden poles, likely broom handles, at each other. 

Another man can be seen holding a bin as if to throw it while another took up a kebab shop’s sandwich board as a shield. 

Police confirmed that two men were being treated in hospital following the brawl, one for stab wounds to the leg and the other who is understood to have been struck in the head with a piece of wood.