Had there been more people interested in preserving reminders of local political history, there would have probably been an outcry over the removal of the metal railings that, up to a few days ago, formed an integral part of the Auberge de Castille in Valletta.

For the structure assumed great significance in a climate of political repression in October 1977 when medical students chained themselves to the railings in protest against the Labour government's policy of keeping the medical school closed. Auberge de Castille was then, as it still is, the office of the Prime Minister.

By their action, the students wanted to symbolise that they had strong ties to their homeland. They carried posters saying: "I want to study in Malta".

But it also happened that they chained themselves at a time when Prime Minister Dom Mintoff was about to leave his office and other students arrived to back them.

The police, led by Commissioner Joe Cachia and accompanied by the CID, were soon on the scene. Policemen wielding metal cutters sliced through the chains and a clash ensued.

Twenty-three students were arrested and taken to police headquarters in Floriana in prison vans. Three were taken to hospital.

Even the socialist organisation Xirka Gustizzja Socjali had opposed the "disproportionate and repressive reaction by the police to a peaceful demonstration in favour of the medical students who cannot continue their studies after three years of study at university".

In stark contrast, the government, through the Department of Information, had said "the attitude of the police was not only correct and prudent but in the circumstances very much necessary for the protection of students themselves".

Before the 1900s, Auberge de Castille had wooden railings but old postcards from the early 1900s show it without any railings. They must have been put in place soon after, as photos taken in 1915 show them already in place.

The interior of the Auberge de Castille was damaged by enemy action in 1942 and German prisoners of war helped to restore the first floor and main staircase. An unsightly two-storey signalling station on the roof was demolished. Castille served as headquarters for the British forces until December 1970.

A government spokesman said the railings were not aesthetically pleasing and their removal was part of the improvements being made to the area. Initially it was planned that the trees nearby would be uprooted but following objections from the public the decision was reversed. The railings have been stored.

Stefan Frendo, a lawyer who was one of the students who went up to Castille in support of the medical undergraduates on that fateful day, said tongue in cheek: "Those railings meant a lot. I would have expected a referendum about whether they should have been removed."

Architect Paul Gauci, who was president of the Xirka Gustizzja Socjali at the time, said the railings were a symbol of student unity.

"The political divide that existed between students and their organisations disappeared on October 7, when the medical students chained themselves and all other student organisations supported them.

"From a nostalgic point of view, I think the railings should have been retained," Mr Gauci said.