A crowd of 28 people walked to the offices of various institutions on Monday, demanding answers on what they called the discriminatory COVID-19 rules which have just been introduced.

As of Monday morning, people needed to produce vaccination certificates before being allowed into venues such as restaurants, bars, social clubs and gyms.

Members of the ‘Freedom Movement’ held the walk between the Curia in Floriana and the President's Palace in Valletta, also stopping along the way at police headquarters, parliament and the Office of the Prime Minister, a day after some 400  people protested against COVID-19 rules. 

In what they described as a 'national strike against tyranny' the small group handed out leaflets asking a number of questions to different authorities relating to the new regulations.

 “We are here to ask for an explanation of these new measures, and to highlight that they are discriminatory and against our human rights,” Paul R Chetcuti, a member of the ‘Freedom Movement’ told Times of Malta. 

Chetcuti labels himself a scientist who specialises in alternative health treatments and e insists that the COVID-19  virus is genetically manufactured. 

When journalists asked for evidence of his claims, he said that a proper press conference should be held and he would provide all his data there. 

Paul R Chetcuti asking questions to police officers regarding the discriminatory measures Photo: Jonathan Borg

When asked if he expected more people to turn up for the ‘strike’, he said he did not because people are scared to speak up. 

“The third dose is not even approved for us yet, it is still in the trial stage and was only approved for an emergency,” one protester claimed. (It was given emergency approval by the US and the European medicine authorities)

Another said that people should be better informed of what is in the vaccines before the government makes them mandatory.

Protestors outside the Curia offices Photo: Jonathan Borg

Outside the Curia, Chetcuti said he will ask representatives of the Church whether they would start asking for the vaccine certificate before letting people into churches. 

The church is one of the few establishments where it is not necessary to present a vaccine certificate. 

“We also want to ask what happens if a funeral takes place, and the person who passed away was not vaccinated- what happens? What about family members who are not vaccinated? Can they enter the church?,” Chetcuti said. 

A list of questions and demands were also presented to police officers outside headquarters. The police told the protesters to send the questions by email.