A crowd of some 400 people chanted slogans against the government in a protest outside parliament organised by the civil society group Repubblika on Wednesday evening.
The protest was called in the wake of a government announcement naming former Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi as head of Malta' delegation to the parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and revelations by Times of Malta that Dr Mizzi was awarded an €80,000 consultancy contract by the Malta Tourism Authority two weeks after resigning his ministerial post. Both the appointment and the contract have since been rescinded by the government.
Despite the u-turns, some of the protesters carried placards saying 'Nothing has changed' with reference to the former Muscat government, as well as other posters saying 'mafia' and 'traitors of the Maltese people'.
Other posters called justice for journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Some of the posters showed vandalised pictures of the murdered journalist. The pictures were vandalised on the makeshift memorial in Valletta.
The protest was held behind two rows of police barriers opposite Parliament, which was in session. There was a heavy police presence but no incidents were reported.
Manuel Delia, the main speaker at the protest, criticised the prime minister for saying the protest was not needed. He said Dr Abela wanted the people to be silent - the sort of silence in which the mafia thrived.
The government had also wanted silence when it resisted the holding of a public inquiry into the Caruana Galizia murder and Dr Abela himself had said there was no need for it, Mr Delia said.
This government through its decisions was showing that nothing had changed, he added. It was only withdrawing decisions when it was found out.
To date, Robert Abela had not condemned the actions of Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and others.
If Parliament could not hold the government to account, civil society would, Mr Delia said.
"Never again will we be mere spectators of your actions, we will stand and fight for democracy."
Protests would continue to be held until justice was done and those who had robbed the country of its money and its dignity were in handcuffs, he said.
Earlier, activist Mark Anthony Sammut said the lustre and hope of a new government had quickly faded, as the first two weeks quickly proved the government had kept the same people and simply moved them to different places.
Mr Sammut criticized the appointment of Konrad Mizzi to represent Malta at the OSCE as well as the appointment of Justyne Caruana to head a parliamentary committee immediately after her resignation as minister, calling it “insulting”.
He also questioned the continued presence of Joseph Muscat in ongoing government business, referring to his presence in a meeting between the government and Steward Health Care.
“We cannot pretend that these people have resigned with honours,” Mr Sammut said.
“You have put this country through cavalry and yet you have learned nothing,” Mr Sammut added.
