Last week thousands of people gathered in Valletta to protest against the hefty rises in utility tariffs. The protest was organized by Ghaqda Unions Maltin but the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, alongside with the Government and the conservative press, were very vocal against the demonstration. Just a week after the protest the UHM is boasting about the fact that five members of the Malta Union of Teachers have joined UHM because of their disapproval how the issue of the utility tariffs was handled by the MUT leadership. However MUT replied that it was compensated with five new members.

A crowd of about 300 people, gathered in Valletta on the 24th of February to march down Republic Street in protest regarding acts of censorship in Malta. The national demonstration was organised by Front Against Censorship, which was formed after an unusual number of incidents involving censorship took place during the year 2009.

The Front Against Censorship would like to applaud the efforts of Minister Dolores Cristina for ordering the creation of a draft document which would reform censorship laws. The Front hopes that this draft document will be accepted by the Cabinet and also by the Opposition. The Front would also like to applaud Owen Bonnici who will in the near future present a bill to parliament to abolish censorship on film and theatre. We also hope that this bill will be approved by all members of parliament.

This morning a group of volunteers from a number of non-governmental organisations set up a wire-fence and a few tents at the City Gate, Valletta, where they held a press conference to raise awareness about the hundreds of people who are currently being held in detention centres.

Yesterday evening about four-hundred people have attended a protest against an Animal Circus which is being held at Blata l-Bajda. The Circus Animal Rights Coalition is a movement composed of different animal welfare organisations and NGOs which is pressuring the government to ban Animal Circuses in Malta. The coalition was first established in 2006.

Despite the heavy rain, at least 100 students have gathered at the quadrangle to show their discontent towards censorship at University. This was the first activity of the Front Against Censorship which was founded by Ir-Realta' Collective after issue 8 of Ir-Realta' was banned from the University's premises. Other acts of censorship at the radio station of the University of Malta, Campus FM, take place frequently.

The Realta' Collective is calling for all organizations, groups and all citizens to join the Front Against Censorship which will start lobbying to remove outdated laws, abolish censorship once and for all and bring about artistic freedom. The Collective believes that the limitations to freedom of speech which are being set up with moralistic and religious justifications are unacceptable in a time and age where the freedom of speech and artistic freedom are values, widely accepted in the European Union. 2009 is ironically the Year of Creativity and Innovation of the EU but for Malta, 2009 is the year of censorship and suppression of the arts. The Collective is here linking the official Proposals which will in the end abolish the censorship regime and is urging all of civil society to back them up so as to exert, strong pressure on Parliament to adopt them.

http://realtamadwarek.org/ir-realta/Front%20Against%20Censorship.doc

Moviment Graffitti is hereby raising some questions related to the visit in Malta of a senior military officer from NATO. Admiral Giampaolo di Paola is currently in Malta, where he will give a lecture at University and where he will meet the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Realta' Collective would like to announce that its critical and satirical newspaper Ir-Realta' has been banned from University by a direct order from the Rector. This information has arrived to the Collective by an informal meeting with the KSU President Karl Grech. He announced to the editor that the newspaper has been banned by a direct order from the Rector due to the discrimination against women incited by the artistic prose of Alex Vella Gera called Li Tkisser Sewwi. The story is about a man, the narrator, who uses women as sexual objects while being completely ignorant about love. The narrator uses vulgar and crude language so as to help the reader rto help the reader to realise how much of an ignorant brute he is. It is an ironic piece of art which has a direct message, against the discrimination of women. The Collective explained this politely to the Rector by an official email, however the Rector did not respond and the ban is still in force.

University Students Council (KSU) has submitted an eviction notice to Moviment Graffitti from their office at Student House, University. The office will instead be used by the Demo-Christian Students organisation (SDM). KSU is currently run by SDM.  This is the result of an orchestrated attack against the left at the University by a hardline Catholic called Anrea Pace and the KSU President Carl Grech. Andre Pace is the Room Allocations Officer and has the duty to inform all organisations about the Social Policy Commission meetings. Not attending these meetings would result, by statute that the organization looses its right for an office.