A protest over COVID-19 restrictions due to be held on Wednesday by operators in Malta's entertainment industry has been cancelled - because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association said in a Facebook post that the police had refused to issue a permit for its 'controlled, seated and socially distant, peaceful protest'' in Valletta because of the current restrictions on public gatherings. "Proceeding would subject our own members to fines as outlined in the current legislation," the association said. It will hold a live-streamed press conference instead.

The protest was originally due to have been held last week, but it was put off while talks were held with the government.  

The association has claimed discrimination in the COVID-19 regulations concerning large-scale events.

Seated large-scale events are slated to resume on July 5, but event capacities will be capped at 100 people, rising to 200 over four weeks, and only fully vaccinated people will be allowed in. 

The MEIA has said that the rules are overly restrictive and make it financially unfeasible to organise most events, and it complained that the sector's proposals were completely ignored.

It also pointed to reports of large crowds gathering in public and other illegal gatherings as further proof that current measures and their enforcement are discriminatory towards the arts and entertainment industries.