A noisy but peaceful crowd gathered outside parliament on Monday evening to protest against Speaker Anġlu Farrugia's behaviour and the weak handling of Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar's ethics breach. 

Repubblika's Robert Aquilina addressing the crowd. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Carrying Maltese flags, the crowd was undeterred by a strong, chilly wind as it made itself heard at the same time as the parliamentary sitting was suspended while the deputy speaker considered whether to allow an urgent debate, requested by the opposition, about the Speaker's actions. 

Protesters carried protest placards reading 'Speaker without a spine', 'Yorgen Fenech’s broker in parliament' and 'The Mafia's tentacles in parliament', among others. 

Rule of law group Repubblika, which organised the protest, has accused the Speaker of having undermined parliament as an independent institution by appearing to defend Cutajar.

“We cannot go on like this. Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi said this, Daphne said it before she was killed and international organisations that we rely on are also saying this,” Repubblika president Robert Aquilina told those present.

”Our institutions cannot keep serving and sucking up to corrupt and criminal people.”

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Aquilina said four months after the public inquiry found the State responsible for Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, Prime Minister Robert Abela has done absolutely nothing, and is still surrounded by the people found guilty by the same inquiry.

”Rosianne Cutajar has the Speaker defending her instead of honouring his oath of office. Even worse, he hired a lawyer to silence Matthew Caruana Galizia.”

”Four years after the Mafia silenced Daphne Caruana Galizia once and for all, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia is now attempting to silence her son.”

Matthew Caruana Galizia and Farrugia exchanged a number of harshly-worded letters last week over the Cutajar issue.

Aquilina insisted that Cutajar is just the latest of a series of politicians that Speaker Farrugia has repeatedly defended, citing, in particular, Edward Zammit Lewis, Carmelo Abela and Joseph Muscat.

Farrugia, a former Labour deputy leader, was appointed Speaker of the House in 2013.