Activists will on Saturday take to Valletta streets in a demonstration against what they say is "ongoing and regular incidences of racial violence and abuse of power against black and brown people in Malta".

Black Lives Matter (Malta) is organising the protest - DEMONSTRATION: Where's the Respect? No 'Us' Without 'Them' - together with a number of other organisations. Activists will meet at 6pm at Valletta's Jean de la Valette Square. 

"For decades we have been hearing of incidents of institutional neglect and racial violence, often at the hands of those entrusted with a responsibility and duty to protect. Enough is enough!

"All members of the Maltese society, regardless of background or origin, deserve to be respected and to feel safe in their community," BLM Malta said. 

A similar protest was held in 2020 in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, which started in the US following the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd that summer. 

A year before, in 2019, 42-year-old Lassana Cisse was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Ħal Far as he walked home on April 6. Two soldiers – Francesco Fenech and Lorin Scicluna – have been accused of his murder as well as the attempted murder of another two men and a hit-and-run incident that was exposed by Times of Malta. They have denied the charges. 

All four victims were black.