The self-styled patriots group Għaqda Patrijotti Maltin called off a planned march through Valletta this morning, supposedly due to a short burst of rain, after fewer than 20 people showed up for the protest.
The protest was planned to call for better security measures for the public and the police force after what the group claimed was a spate of attacks by foreigners on Maltese people in Paceville.
At 9am, however, when the march was scheduled to start, only some 15 people, including the organisers, had gathered at City Gate.
Organisers informed the press that the start of the march would be delayed until 10.30am to allow more people to arrive – but after a five-minute burst of rain, the march was formally called off and the protesters dispersed.
Speaking to the Times of Malta, a spokesman for the Għaqda Patrijotti Maltin blamed the poor attendance on “the rain, the timing and people still being tired after a night out”.
This was the third such protest organised by the group in the last six months. Previous protests were attended by a few hundred people but consistently dominated by racist slogans and sentiments, particularly from the organisers themselves.
Members of the...
