Vigils Across Malta Mark Nine Years Since Daphne Caruana Galizia Murder
· Updated
In brief
- Journalists and media workers held a morning vigil outside the law courts at the Great Siege Monument in Valletta.
- A silent gathering took place in Bidnija at the site where Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in October 2017.
- The commemorations marked nine years since the assassination, highlighting the role of independent reporting in Malta.
Earlier, Fil-Qosor reported on diplomatic missions calling for stronger press protections on the ninth anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination. Commemorative events took place across Malta on Friday to mark nine years since the investigative journalist was murdered in a car bomb explosion in Bidnija on 16 October 2017.
In Valletta, journalists and editors from several independent newsrooms gathered on Friday morning at the Great Siege Monument, situated directly opposite the law courts. The site has served as a central memorial and protest focal point for press freedom campaigners since the weeks following the 2017 murder.
The morning gathering was organised in part by the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM). Media professionals stood together in remembrance, reaffirming that the core duty of investigative journalism remains publishing information of public interest that powerful individuals may wish to conceal.
Later in the afternoon, activists, journalists, and members of the diplomatic community assembled in Bidnija for an annual silent vigil. Attendees gathered along the country lane at the exact location where the bomb was detonated, observing a period of quiet reflection.
The anniversary comes amid ongoing discussions regarding media protection reforms and legal proceedings connected to the assassination. Press freedom organisations and civil society groups continue to stress that full justice requires both institutional protection for reporters and legal accountability for those involved.
Further commemorative activities and gatherings took place throughout Friday to honour Caruana Galizia's legacy. Participants reiterated the importance of preserving an independent, robust press capable of holding public authorities and figures to account.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Valletta on Friday evening to mark the ninth anniversary of the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, concluding a day of national commemorations. The march and demonstration, organised in conjunction with the monthly vigils held by civil society organisation Repubblika, drew a particularly large turnout as crowds packed the streets of the capital.
Participants marched through Valletta demanding decisive institutional action, highlighting the continued denial of full justice and the failure to implement key recommendations from the public inquiry into the assassination. Demonstrators pointedly called for urgent systemic reforms to protect independent journalism and to end impunity for those who ordered and enabled the murder.
The demonstration brought the formal anniversary events to a close, following earlier remembrance gatherings held by media practitioners, diplomats, and family members in Bidnija and outside the law courts.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the evening demonstration consistently, focusing on the strong turnout and calls for justice.
Updates
- : Updated to include the evening demonstration and vigil in Valletta organised by Repubblika, where thousands called for justice and institutional reforms.
- : Updated with reporting from Times of Malta and Lovin Malta: Archbishop Charles Scicluna held a private prayer gathering with the family in Bidnija, where attendees displayed banners rejecting presidential pardons.
- : Updated with reporting from MaltaToday and NET News: the Institute of Maltese Journalists renewed demands for full justice and the implementation of public inquiry recommendations.
- : Updated with reporting from MaltaToday: a representative from Italian anti-mafia organisation Libera addressed the Valletta vigil, telling demonstrators that their persistent voices cannot be silenced.