Letter to the Prime Minister

The Journalists' Committee has urged the Prime Minister to act swiftly against the rising threat of racism. Mark Micallef reports for The Times - that's me in the picture next to Peppi:

Journalists and media people yesterday reaffirmed their fundamental right to freedom of expression in the face of the recent arson attacks while presenting the Prime Minister with a petition calling on the authorities to give priority to the matter before it precipitates further. The petition, signed by about 60 people from the local press, comes in the wake of the latest arson attacks on the residence of columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia and MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan..

Addressing the press outside the Prime Minister's office, in Valletta, Karl Schembri, spokesman for the Journalists' Committee, which organised the event, called on the Prime Minister to step in to ensure that freedom of expression is guaranteed and journalists are protected from "cowardly criminals" whose only aim is to stifle the democratic process. "The latest attack on Ms Caruana Galizia's residence can be said to have been a predictable assault, as we feel there will be others on members of the press that take a stand against racism," Mr Schembri said.

Reading from the petition, he said this is a position stated responsibly and in view of a series of attacks carried out against an editor, an author, a lawyer who works with refugees and the Jesuits. "On our part," the petition ends, "we reaffirm our commitment against racial hatred. While we call on all forms of racist and violent incitement which is leading to the situation of terror to stop we insist that these acts will not shut us up and much less will they change our views on the fundamental principle of freedom of speech."

My report of the event in today's l-orizzont