The Great Siege monument, in Valletta was sealed off for “health and safety” reasons, according to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.
Activists have for the past 10 months used the monument as a memorial site and a symbolic call for justice opposite the law courts for slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The monument was sealed off on Saturday to allow restoration on its base, a move widely viewed as the government’s latest attempt to put a halt to the site being used for memorials and protests.
Hoarding and barriers were initially used, although the barriers were not there yesterday.
Activists assemble by the monument on the 16th of every month to mark the anniversary of Ms Caruana Galizia’s assassination on October 16 last year.
Read: Caruana Galizia activists incensed as Great Siege monument is blocked for ‘restoration’
Dr Bonnici said, when asked why was a public space cordoned off, that the area around the monument was now a work site. Restoration workers needed an environment that was free of obstructions to carry out the necessary work on the monument, he said.
“It is basically an issue of health and safety of the workers,” he said.
Asked when the restoration works were…
