Police resources drained by unruly village feasts

Unruly village feasts were draining police resources, Police Commissioner John Rizzo said yesterday, forcing police stations in many areas to close down in summer.

"The force does not have the resources for these extra commitments," Mr Rizzo told a seminar on the issue of external feasts. He said that since celebrations lasted for up to nine days, he was considering charging for police presence between Mondays and Thursdays.

"We can no longer afford it," he said, as he called for regulations to govern band marches.

Acting vicar general Anton Gouder said parish priests were far from pleased with village feasts. In fact, they had become such a headache that some had left their post while others were seriously considering following suit.

"Pique, fanaticism and anti-social behaviour overtakes anything else on feast days," he said. Many feasts were characterised by offensive language hurled at the opposing band club members during marches, with some anthems specifically written and recorded on CDs," he said.

The dark side of feasts had also gone into cyberspace with the creation of offensive websites.

"Apart from feasts, where else do we see painted, bare-chested people, vulgar behaviour between young men and woman in the streets and alcohol and drugs in the streets? This does not even happen during Carnival," he said.

Mgr Gouder said experience had shown that band clubs marching in front of their rivals' premises was a threat to public order. One of the contracts between band clubs even went as far as to mention a 'danger zone'.

"Are we talking about a feast in honour of a saint, or about Gaza?"

Archbishop Paul Cremona, who closed yesterday's seminar, said it was worrying to realise that the police were so concerned about village feasts, and it was important to stem anti-social behaviour.

He proposed the setting up of a commission composed of all affected parties, to monitor what was happening and help parish priests, legislators and the police.

He also suggested the drafting of a mission statement explaining what a Christian feast should be like and urged the volunteers who took part in the organisation of feasts to use some of their energies to help children's cancer support group Puttinu Cares.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said he was prepared to make radical changes as long as all those involved were on board and collaborated.

"Let us get a group of people together and take the necessary decisions," he said.

Labour home affairs spokesman Michael Falzon said better enforcement was required.