Four charged over protest messages

Three men and a 17-year-old boy were yesterday charged in connection with a threatening text message that urged hunters to turn up for a violent protest in Ta' Qali today 'with knives'.

The police had briefed the press about the case earlier in the day before escorting the young men into court later in the afternoon. Assistant Commissioner Josie Brincat warned hunters who may be under the impression that the protest is legitimate not to go to Ta' Qali this morning as no permit for the demonstration was requested, let alone issued.

The message, seen by The Times, said: 'A big motorcade and a spectacular protest next Sunday at 10 a.m. The migration is here and we cannot go out. Patience is running out and we're going to turn this country to dust.

'Bring with you iron, wood, stones, knives, petrol and matches. Send this message to all the enthusiasts you know... We'll meet at Ta' Qali at 10'. During a news conference, Mr Brincat made it clear that whoever responds to the message will be party to what is known legally as an unlawful assembly.

"Through this press conference we are letting those who may have not realised yet that this is an illegal manifestation," Mr Brincat said.

The message apparently first surfaced last Thursday. Those arraigned were probably not the original source but were still charged with 'incitement to commit a crime' for having allegedly forwarded it. The eldest, 25-year-old Jason Zammit, turned to his mother to explain the arrest shortly before the Magistrate Doreen Clarke granted bail, and whispered: "It was all about a message. We're all flabbergasted... it's about a message!"

The other three were 18-year-old Ian Grima, a 17-year-old (who cannot be named due to his age) and 19-year-old Clyde Gauci, who was also charged for having protected stuffed birds in his possession and advertising the event on the hunters' federation (FKNK) forum.

The federation dissociated itself from the protest during a press conference on Friday, saying that a protest at this stage could do more harm than good to its cause.

But the event was discussed on the forum the previous day. 'We have been long using the pen! And you know where that got us. So let's show our discontent...' one message said in reference to today's planned meeting.

The posts on the FKNK's forum show the tension among hunters as they await the decision by the European Court of Justice on whether to impose interim measures before it takes a final decision on the future of spring hunting in Malta. The decision is being taken right at the peak of the season.

In the meantime, graffiti has appeared by the roadside in different localities making threats in connection with the possibility of spring hunting being curtailed. Three birdwatchers' cars were also torched in Buskett recently.

When asked about the status of this case, Mr Brincat could not say whether anyone had been questioned, pointing out that he was not personally involved in the investigation.

He said, however, that past experience showed that investigations of this nature were not easy and often took a relatively long time to conclude. He did stress that the police were hoping to dig deeper into the issue, even the one connected to the protest. "The buck clearly doesn't stop there," he said.

Lawyers Anglu Farrugia and Richard Sladden appeared for the accused.