Shocking footage shows two men destroying Daphne Caruana Galizia's memorial

The men accosted the sisters of the murdered journalist in footage

Mon, Sep 23rd 2019, 15:54 Last updated 3 hours, 12 minutes ago

Shocking footage filmed in broad daylight shows two men destroying a makeshift memorial to murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and verbally attacking her sisters.

In one section of an hour-long episode of French news show Enquête Exclusive, the men are seen approaching the memorial on Valletta’s Republic Street and destroying it in front of onlookers.

“This is not a f***ing grave yard,” one of the men can be heard telling one of Ms Caruana Galizia’s sisters as another kicks and tramples bouquets of flowers.  

Insisting that the candles, flowers, and posters are “illegal” and that there should be “no politics” at the Great Siege Memorial monument, the two men throw them to the ground in front of the late journalist’s sisters.

Although the sisters can be heard telling them that the makeshift memorial commemorated a murdered journalist, the men ignore them and violently clear the flowers and candles. At one point, one of the even throws them at one of the sisters as she tried to stop them. 

The flowers and candles are put back shortly after the men leave.  

Another of Ms Caruana Galizia’s sisters tells the French TV crew that the memorial is routinely cleared away. Although there were CCTV cameras looking directly at the monument, no one has ever been prosecuted, she says.  

The family have regularly complained that the memorial to Ms Caruana Galizia is cleared.  

Last year the matter ended up in court after government workers from the Cleansing Department were seen clearing the candles and flowers away, shortly after they had been left their by activists.  

The episode also shines a spotlight on the trials of the family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia as they campaign for justice, travelling with them to a sitting before the Council of Europe.  

In June a report condemning the state of rule of law in Malta and raising concerns on the investigation into Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder was overwhelmingly approved at the Council of Europe.

The report had also called for Malta to set up a public inquiry to establish whether her death could have been prevented. The inquiry was finally announced last week.