PL media executive assaulted

Nothing to do with a democratic country. If you go to certain areas in London or New York at night you're most likely to be mugged, knifed or killed. One is free to go but at his own risk!

@ Joe Fenech: I did not say that you were being apologetic. All I said is that since we are told that this is a 'free democratic' country, one cannot be confined indoors but has the 'choice' to go wherever he likes.

A Galea:

I wasn't being apologetic for what happened, but if one chooses to go to certain places one can expect these things to happen.

@ Joe Fenech: Maybe he should remain confined indoors since he should choose the places better? Isn't this country supposed to be 'full of choices' as the PN apologists here try to paint it? Or is it that their dreams are now falling flat in their face?

As a PL media executive, he should choose the places he goes to better!!!

Sur De Martino: M'ghidtlekx li ma grawx, imma allura nerga nghid, ghala ma taghmilx inkjesta biex tiehu gustizzja? Ghala qabel l elezzjoni tal 87 Fenech Adami qal li jaf min qatel lil Raymond Caruana u lil Karen Grech u meta tela, u ghadna sal gurnata tal lum, ma sar xejn? U kif dawk il pulizija (diga semmejthom qabel) li ttorturaw u qatlu n nies, hadu promotion?

GiovDeMartino:

Ma gara xejn. Kont qed nikkumenta fuq affarijiet zghar bla importanza.

Jiddispjacini, Sur Fenech, ma fhimt xejn x'ridt tghidli. Skuzani!

GiovdeMartino :

What do you expect people to do? Cry? Feel sorry? These are things that happen when a country is taking its first steps. They are ideological battles (I know you'll be sarcastic on this one too!) that at the end of the day make a country.

Naqbel mieghek mija fil-mija Sur Zammit, IMMA dan ifisser li mhux veru kienu jinharqulna l-kazini regolarment?> Mhux veru harqu t-Times, kissru l-kurja, farrku l-hqrs tal-MUT, ittorturaw u qatlu nies fid-depot? M

Dnub li meta tlajtu fil gvern qatt ma ghamiltu inkjesta De Martino, u dnub li l pulizija li kienu 'jsawwtukom' spiccaw biex hadu promotion meta tlajtu intom!

Jalla darba qlajnieha mil-laburisti. Saqsu lilFenech Adami u lill-familja tieghu, per ezempju

@ GiovDeMartino
There's no fuss because Labour supporters don't feel the pain Giovan . Mur zommok lilek kieku idabbar xi daqtejn minn xi Laburisti hamalli u fis-sakra.
Why do you find it so hard to change your style even after 46,000 PN supporters told you on the 6 June that your way is detrimental to your precious Gonzipn.

@ Roderick Theuma: 'perhaps you confused the history of the 80's but everybody knows who suffered violence during that time!!' A pity the PN once in government never took the trouble to make an inquiry of what happened but just let it go. It was also a shame that the police officers who used to beat up people got promoted. Also it is strange that victims such as yourself never made a pressure on the PN to make amendments on what happened!!!

This all boils down to our magistrates!
We have seen such perpetrators relapsing several times and leaving court with just a slap on the wrist.
This sends out the signal that taking the law in your own hands is the way to go, that is why we have so many abuses, arsons, beatings and vandalisms.

And then for speeding at 65kph on a road that is supposed to be rated 80kmp you are fined over €100. The authorities have lost their sense of justice and common sense.

If I were to judge the best post up until now, I would rate Fr Joe Inguanez's as such. May I reprint it by way of exhibiting unlimited agreement with same (significant block letters 'n all): "I CONDEMN IN NO UNCLEAR TERM THE ATTACK ON MR GOUDER AND I WISH HIM A QUICK RECOVERY. LET THE CRIMINALS BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE." This is an clear example of instances where people speak their mind without any qualms. Can Fr Joe Borg find enough courage to follow suit? I very much wonder.

@ GioDe Martino

"All this fuss because of a fight at a night club"

First: This is not a fight but an assault on Charlon because of his political believes
Second: This assault didn’t happen at a night club but the aggressors were waiting outside the CLUB therefore this was meant to happen.
Third: I wander what you would have said if the assaulted person was Pierre Portelli or another PN activist….

Please be honest at least with yourself.

1980s Malta is BACK ! ! !

Joe Galea

"This incident is clearly a politically motivated one. PN thugs and violence are surfacing back." -

So you are making claims that you have actual proof of this? How do you know... please explain it is so unclear to me... and regarding your last comment about PN thugs and violence are surfacing back... perhaps you confused the history of the 80's but everybody knows who suffered violence during that time!!

Most of you people are linking this attack to some nationalists thugs and making this a political motivated crime...... HOWEVER sometimes trouble makers stir trouble just for the sake of it... Unless any one of you have some reason to believe that this attack was politically motivated (in which case you should go to the police immidietely), nobody can make this link.

@ GiovDeMartino: Yes, all this fuss! Imagine if it was a PN executive, would you still call it 'fuss'?

The PN should issue a statement on this and the Police should put every effort to apprehend the culprits

All this fuss because of a fight at a night club! On my right I can read about two seriously injured in Senglea. Not ONE single blogger gave his comments.

First of all, I would like to show my solidarity with Charlon Gouder.

I would like to point out to everyone that the person causing trouble at Zejtun has no affiliation with the PL, even if he claims to be. Moreover, the PL has condemned the incident and asked that for the perpetrators to be arriagned. Just to make things clear.

The PN has not come out with some form of condemn yet. For me this gives the impression that the PN is not contrary to violence and by not saying anything the GonziPN acknowledges the incedent rather than condemning it.

This incident is clearly a politically motivated one. PN thugs and violence are surfacing back.

By the way, violence does not neccessarily need be just physical. Sometimes it is even worse.

I CONDEMN IN NO UNCLEAR TERM THE ATTACH ON MR GOUDER AND I WISH HIM A QUICK RECOVERY. LET THE CRIMINALS BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

We can t hear it from both sides, cos the other side is in hiding......

Doesn't that tell you anything?

So do you believe that both sides have a tale to tell when it comes to political violence?

Did you say the same thing with regard to the Zejtun incident?

if justice isnt that swift then such cowards will keep having a field day. i hope that the culprits are brought to book. And by the way don’t gianpula have bouncers and cctvs and where were they on that night. i hope that if these cowards are ever caught they would not be handed out a ridiculous sentence. lastly i could not understand how such cowards find apologists here to condone their cowardly acts. strange bedfellows////////

In his comment, Mr Gorg Borg showed the typical demaning manner some of your readers debate on this site. Charlon stated that before the aggressors foul mouthed the labour party.

The incident brought me back bad memories.

In l987, after the Zejtun incidents I tried to visit the injured in hospital at St Luke's hospital. . I never hurt a fly in my life. I made no difference. When the Nationalist supporters spotted me they attacked me.

on the 21st of January l987 when I was still attending Parliament, a bomb was placed at the doorstep of my farmhouse in a not so remote part of Zurrieq.

My son James used to study there because it was quiet . With him was a Nationalist friend of his from Mellieha. They had just left.

The car he used to drive, a White Mazda, was parked in the driveway. Who ever planted the bomb wanted to kill him.

I will never forget the terrifying voice of my wife when she called me in Parliament . She never recovered from that shock. The bomb did not manage to kill my combative spirit but it sure helped to dampen it.

reno calleja

People who resort to political violence are those, who either have much to lose 'personaly' if the party they support should not remain in government or those who have much to gain 'personaly' if the party they support should succeed in governing the country, many times to the detriment, not only to supporters of the other party, but also to supporters of the same party.
What is most scandalous is the fact that these people are given what they want by the party in government, no matter what.
That is one of the facts that makes politics as dirty as ever. And most probably this will go on for ever!!!!

1day 5 hours ago i wrote as soon as this story came on line - "Violence and fighting in all forms are bad and sorry for Mr Gouder and his wife. Police hurry up and catch these people and arraign them so that this unfortunate and stupid incident is contained and does not adopt a life of its own causing some sort of ripple effect. " Fat lot of good my comment did, as it has totally spun out of control.
In my (mispent) youth, many a time i got into scuffles at discoes we used to call them back then. my political lenings being well known at the time, i occasionally did get the occasional taunt at my socialist beliefs, but I cannot say i was innocent in what I said either! Nobody back then (except Mum) ever made a fuss about one broken tooth, 3 or 4 black eyes, and a couple of bloodied noce incidents where I was on the receiving end. No comment please about when I was dishing it out ! Dear me, we must be living in much more civilised ( or sissy) times if so much fuss is being made over a scuffle.

Anyone knows what led to this incident? I think its better to hear the story from both sides before commenting on this incident.

@J Martinelli
"Had I intended to take sides regarding this issue, I would have perhaps mentioned the Zejtun incident during the MEP elections"

You just did...you just did.

Talk about blue-tinted corneas!

@ George Borg
The point I’m trying to make is that as far as I’m concerned this was an act of two cowards and we have PN cowards as well as PL cowards but conveniently when something ugly like this happens and the cowards are PL supporters the PN spins the whole incident to make it look like a PL covert operation. Do I need to remind you of typical incidents?
Having said that, and for what it’s worth, I have it from eye witnesses that during the physical abuse on Mr and Ms Gouder, the two cowards made several disparaging remarks against the PL .
If ever this dastard act sees itself in our court of laws you would get to know much more about the animalistic tendencies the two monsters demonstrated at Gianpula. Spelling out what I learned would further hurt the victims. So please Mr Borg just do not even try to look for justification because in this particular case you will never find any.

@ Reno Calleja

Well done Reno ! From the comfort of your home you are giving the police a helping hand in their investigations, telling them that they are two Nationalists who beat Charlon. So, according to you, the Police have to investigate ONLY just over 40 % of the population. U hallina, Ren !!! Whilst, once again I express my full solidarity with the Gouder couple ( who ever did it ), I am sure that Reno could have commented better on such an incident. He knows better !

The longer they stay on the run the more convinced people will be "that the assailants were Nationalists". Is more proof than that really needed, Mr De Giorgio? I have no doubt the PN is not happy about this incident, it therefore should pull its weight and spur the police to find the culprits and bring them to book. Everybody, journalists in particular, should be voicing such calls in unison. Again, we readers wish Charlon and his spouse a speedy recovery.

Dear Mr. Degiorgio
I am relying on what Mr. Gouder said when he reported the incident ie that the assailants started insulting him about the Labour Party. If I am not mistaken, the news on super One radio and T.V. also highlighted this fact.
True Mr Gouder is a 'pest' when it comes to do his job. When I use pest I mean persistent, insistsent and unrelenting in gettng the truth out of those whom he asking questions. But some of the p.n. journalists. I do not recall the names but I remember two p.n. journalists a male and a female who really would make life very difficult for Alfred Sant before the elecftions. Indeed I used to admire them because that is their job. I am a journalist by profession and in the sixties and early seventies I was a pain in the neck to those who had the misfortune of being investigated by me.
I am sure those cowards who brually attacked Charlon Gouder do not represent the moderate section of the P.N.

@ James De Giorgio

James I not know the identity of the assailants but I do know that they are PN supporters. No I can't give you tangible proof for that but if our police do their bit properly the culprits will be caught and then you will have your tangible proof. How do I know that the culprits were PN supporters,meet me on Facebook and I will tell you and the world how.

Blaming these happenings on PN enthuisiasts is the easy thing to do in this case. Could have been easily PL supporters to cause havoc and give ppl something to talk about,,,we all know thier top drawer for coming up with rubbish to shed bad light on the current government, politics in this country make me sick. wiehed ghar mil iehor :S

James De Giorgio,In a series of crimes committed in the 80', the perpetrators were never caught.
Of course, this did not stop the PN from claiming that the perpetrators were Labour supporters.

What is your view on this matter?

Get well soon Charlon.

From the logical side of it, I think it would have been someone from PL who attacked you.!!
Another case of "Only in Malta".

Take care.

I watched news on all channels last evening. Disgusting how Net tv and PBS, which happen to be the NATIONAL TV Channel, didnt care to show this incident!! Only One tv and Favourite channel showed what happened.
We have so much to open our mind in this country!!! There is still so much ignorance and brain-washing that it simply disgust me!
Get well soon Mr. Gouder. I am sure that you will get out of this even a stronger person and more determined in what you believe in, because after all we are suppose to be living in a diplomatic country in 2009 and free to express our mind!

PS. Hope my comment will be published today!!!

@ Reno Calleja. Do you have any proof that the assailants were Nationalists? If not, then your comment is defamatory and totally out of order.

@J Martinelli

This is what you wrote "No we do not need, nor desire to go back to the 70s and 80s" without referring to the Sixties. Joe Grima did not refer to any particular timespan of our turbulent past but you can always address his comments directly.

All parties have their dark piece of history which we have heard ad nauseam. To portray the Labour Party so negatively as you always do in your writing is winning your PN no brownie points. Malta is in a quagmire and we who live here need to find solutions.

You would do well if you returned to Malta in order to spend some months mingling with people, living in our conditions and experiencing the general air of discontent amongst the Maltese people. Two weeks ago Malta went to the polls and the Labour Party won with a 35K vote majority. This is the latest indicator to which political agenda the Maltese favour most.

Maltese youth of 2009 are much more tolerant and open-minded. Let us harbour a million ideological difference with one unifying overall aim: that of improving daily life on these islands.

Meanwhile let us all wish Charlon a speedy recovery.

A weak person only knows how to use verbal abuse, violence and any form of discrimination to show their superiority complex. It is cowardice, indeed!

It is unbelievable to find some comments here are blown out of proportion. The bottom line is that these cowards have already committed a criminal offence and must be punished by law.

Justice be done for Charlon!

More pathetic than this, emptyness and void!
Beating up a journalist and terrorizing his wife is horrific, to say the least!
Could it be that one of these "unknown" two, may be our very own future Dumini? With such fears doing the rounds, one wonders who the Matteotti may be!

Why is condemnation for such a barbarous act ONLY forthcoming from the Labour Party?

Is Charlon Gouder a child of a lesser God because he is a Labour Party supporter?

Let justice be done and SEEN to be done when the culprits are apprehanded.

Imagine, just imagine if the victims were the PN Media Exec. and his wife while the perpetrators were PL supporters. Remember the shootout at a PN club during Xmas time and the scuffle at the polling place in Zejtun?
Irrespective whether the perpetrators at Gianpula were PN or PL supporters and likewise the victims, I can’t consider this incident as an act of political violence. Supporters of different saints’ fight between themselves don’t they and we don't call that religious violence do we? My point is that incidents like this, had the victims been PN supporters, the PN would have had a field day and would go as far as putting it on Joseph Muscat’s doorstep. Ghax skond huma skond iz-zokk il fergha.

And this is one of the reasons why their supporters are deserting them.

@ Charles Agius Shut it, just shut it because without knowing it you are justifying the incident. Your line of thinking and the way you express it smells very seditious.

The attack by those two Nationalist cowards who brutally beat Charlon Gouder is disgusting and shameful

The police should not rest until they capture these criminals.

I am sure they have ways and means to capture these aggressors. Imagine if it was the Nationalist Media manager who was attacked by labour supporters.
I am sure every 'independent' newspaper would have used the front page to condemn it. Probably an editorial would have been written too. Imagine how the usual apologists of the P.N. who write regular columns would have used this brutal and unprovoked attack to call Labourites 'Hamalli', vjolenti and give them the usual labels.

Since many are assuming that the police would do little or nothing about it, The Labour Party should offer a reward to those who would give information that would lead to the police to arrest them two animals.

reno calleja

Experiencing physical assault is a very humiliating experience... I know, because I have experienced it. Before experiencing it, I was convinced that verbal abuse and physical abuse, were equivalent, but I found, that they are not... Physical abuse is literally "adding insult to injury".

Let us stop thinking that physical abuse only hurts the body. Like any abuse, it harms the psyche, and as such, it should be heavily penalised. Primitively minded monsters, who resort to harming another person, because they are stronger physically, have no place amoung the law abiding citizens....


@ The Authorities:
Physical abuse should be harshly punished because it harms both the BODY and MIND.

My question to many,not to mention blogger names, where were they to condemn the blatant political motivated accidents at Zejtun and at the Counting Hall this past June 6th. Or the accident at Mqabba last year?

These Hypocrites, for a better word, are associated this as a political act of violence without knowing all the facts. I hope it is not. Whether it is or not, should be condemned just the same. There should be no room in society to get one's point of view through violence.

Reason and the power of persuasion should win the day.

@ J Martinelli:

"Mr Gouder reported that the two men insulted him and the party, before starting to hit him."

Poche parole al buon intenditor.

My conbtribution had more to do with the circumstances, that bring morons to use brute force, than with anything else. I did not mention any poiitical party but then, Mr Martinelli, if you think that the cap fits, wear it.

Mr Gouder's injuries seem to be more serious than what the Times story reported. Again, a speedy recovery to Charlon Gouder.

@ Alan Mamo

Perhaps Mr. Aguis was wrong to mention accidents in the 70's as there was no need to do so. Mr. Aguis could have gone back as this past June 6th and as back as last year with the accident in Mqabba. Both accidents we all know were politically motivated.

So please, no hypocrisy, If one is going to condemn violence whether political or not, lets' be consistent.

Violence should be condemned whenever it takes place and at whom it is perpetrated against should not make a difference in condemning violence.

I find it quite odd that from the names of blogger that I see below, none of them and came out publicly and condemned the accident that happened on June 6th, at Zejtun or the accidents at the Counting hall.

From the story I read nowhere that the accident was politically motivated. Prudence dictate that one should wait for the facts to be all known then to come to a conclusion. As I wrote above, violence should not be accepted in society whether it is of a political nature or not.

let's not use two measures in this issue.

While I condemn unreservedly this attack on Charlon Gouder and all other violence, no matter by whom it is perpetrated, I cannot understand why the majority of these bloggers have decided that the men who attacked Charlon were Nationalist supporters. There were other parties that contested the EP elections. Could it not have been someone from some other party, or someone who has nothing to do with politics and who might have had a grudge against him? The two persons are unknown. We are too prone to jump to conclusions. It is only fair to wait until the police arraign someone before we pass judgement. I wish Charlon and his wife a speedy recovery.

Our solidarity goes to Charlon Gouder and his wife who must have been scared out of her wits with this incident. I believe the Police are capable of finding who these violent persons were and I hope the Police prove me right. I though the ' cowboys and indian ' days were over ?

Some people like Mr. Charles Agius condemn violation of all sorts BUT was quick to remind us about accidents that happened in the 70's and 80's. Labour paid a price for that incidents. Never and nobody from the PN apologists (including Mr. Charles Agius himself) remind us how labour supporters were treated in the 60's. Please remind us about "id-dnub il-mejjet"! Sometimes moral violation is much more damaging than physical violation, albeit both has to be condemned whether it happened in the 60's, 70's or later.
Kuragg Charlot.

@ Steve Borg

Read my comments again. A second wrong does not justify the first.

Then read Joe Grima's comments one more time and convince me that the intended ambiguity did not implicate the NP.

Acts of violence should never be condoned by whomever they are directed at irrespective of political leanings.

Had I intended to take sides regarding this issue, I would have perhaps mentioned the Zejtun incident during the MEP elections and called it even. Enough said.

First and foremost kuragg Charlon, 'nd family. Its really a nasty incident indeed. I know that many of the bloggers here, have systematically experienced any sort of violence or other humiliations... BUT are we going to continue to live in the past??? The past is there to learn lessons from it, not to use it as a tool to impress. I'm sorry but this is the fact. I feel really ashamed about MP's in the present government who still repeatedly remind us about those horrible horrible times mentioning books like "Liberta' Mhedda" just to hide off the serious problems this party, 'nd country are facing... Take an example in the last election... No one in the PN media, and I say no one ever mentioned that some guy tried to intimidate people with a knife at Hamrun. Only they made a fuss because a poor guy(Bartolo) tried to stir trouble... Where is the transparency?Another question which comes in mind is "Why all this hatred against JM and his family???" Be4 the EU election I attended a PN activity, and felt really bad about hearing remarks about his family, and the way how he named his children... Are we serious???

@ Ray Micallef

I am to the Labour born and like the vast majority of the people in my camp would not ever blame Dr.Gonzi and his PN supporters for these violent acts, we condemn the individual perpetrators and their apologists. Drs. Gonzi and Muscat can only lose out of these situations.
Ray, regrettably I can’t agree with you that the Gianpula incident was brought about as a reflection of the intolerance and arrogance of the present administration.
Politics is a battle of wits and the party which treats its opponents as imbeciles loses the battle.

Come on............we are in 2009 and we do nt have to politicise all that happens. I am sorry for Charlon, but why blow it out of proportion and make a political scene of this isue.

I condemn all violence but let's keep all in its perspective please.....

I look forward to the agrressors beign brought to justice and to know the full story....

Various comments have been posted about this incident, many have concluded that this attack was politically motivated.

I ask,how did you conclude that it was politically motivated? (Just because they mention the LP, it doesn't mean that they were Nationalist, All of Malta knows that Mr.Gouder works with the LP.)

Also why should the Government comment on this incident after all Mr. Gouder is a normal citizen who does not occupy any post in Parliament, he isn't a high ranking official in the LP or within the Government. He occupies the post of media executive with the LP and that's all.

Also we do not know all the details of this article. (why did they insult him, did they have a grudge against him because of personal things etc..)

(I am not a nationalist laborite, supports A.D or AN, I happen to think outside the different form the average Maltese politcal fanatic.)

I wish Mr Gouder a speedy recovery. May Justice prevail and the assailants caught .

@Paul Borg----What blatant cheek!! Pontificating about how not to make a mountain out of a molehill!! Where were you on the 6th of June (EP election day) when an incident much less serious than this led someone from within the PN or close to it to send sms's telling everyone that "Malta is back to the 80's"?? Has playing the victim become one of the PN's monopolies too now!!!?? This incident is disgusting and whether politically motivated or not it should be condemned by everyone and yes Mr.Borg that definitely includes the PN!!!!!! Or is the PN so bleeding disorganised and bitter that it cant "organise" a press release!!!!

I have just read this horrible news item and condemn wihout any reservations this barbaric act, whether this had any political connotations or not.

Whilst I empathise with Charlon Gouder and his wife, I hope and pray that the culprits are brought to justice in the shortest possible time.

Michael Seychell
Tal-Pieta

With apologies to all those who may have misunderstood me.As it happens I only listen to one certain radio, who happenned not to mention the place..and read only one news paper, which too never mentioned the place. NO Dr.Mark it does not really matter where or who does these things...What matters most is that the culprits are brought to justice.
YES ZERO TOLERANCE TO VIOLENCE IN ANY FORM

speedy recovery to mr gouder.minn kien mhu ser issib is support ta hadd.

i disagree with all violence but i must say.....where was frans sammut and all in 1970's and 1980's......but where were you all........you all kept mum to the thuggery perpetuated by known labour thugs....and i ask again...but where you all?

Shame! Horror! Shock!
Shame on the thugs who assailed charlon and family! It s simply not fair that in 2009 public figures are beaten up by those who oppose their political views! This is barbaric and shows that even today some people think they are above the law and politically irresponsible. Get well soon charlon u kuragg!

Yes, we all condemn this kind of barbaric action. But is anyone doing anything about it? The day is not far when known PL personalities will not be able to patronize locales whose owners are known for their political allegiance and therefore above the law. The recent results emerging from the hustings have created ripples of uneasiness among people who have grown accustomed to be treated as belonging to the first tier of society, i.e. among the untouchables. Such a situation is bound to worsen rather than improve. Ministers behaving in the most impertinent fashion like treating parliamentary debates as useless (since Government enjoys a majority of seats) following which they predict that the country will come out of the financial disaster tunnel in two years time when Government will then resort to a spree of dishing out the candy the same "first tier" people expect, these Ministers as I was saying, are not helping to return the situation to what the Americans calls "normalcy". Rather they are exacerbating it. This is wishing Charlon and his spouse a quick recovery. He will be needed for the sprint following the said Minister's two years of hardship.

Violence should be condemmed by all, all the time and in all circumstances. The 70's and 80's are still a hot topic because all those who suffered violence of some kind or another are thousands. In those days one need not be in the media or involved in politcs to be assaulted and beaten. I am a witness of this myself. Way back in 1975 the day after budget was announced, I bought the newspaper - IN-Nazzjon Taghna - and was just coming out of the shop reading the paper, when some 'iblah' from my hometown snatched the paper and slapped twice in the face. I went to the police station to report the incident giving him the name of the person who beat me. I was politely told to go home and forget the matter because nothing would happen to this person. In those days we were not living under the despotic Nationalists but were savouring our fortune of living under a Socialist regime bent on showering love on all of us in a MIntoffian way. Direzzjoni Success indeed!!!!

Whether the attack personally or politically motivated,
violence should be condemned at all levels of our society.

Get well soon Mr Gouder!

@ Paul Borg

I fully agree with you and also condemn this act. The next time it will be some one affiliated with PN we will say it was the PL supporter/s and vise versa if it had to be again aPL affiliate. Come on let's be serious in our comments.

"Nikkundanna l-att ta’ vjolenza fuq il-Media Executive tal-Partit Laburista Charlon Gouder. Charlon is a very smart and honest guy. Hope that these aggressors would be caught and brought to justice. It is very shameful that Pn thugs are behaving in this matter. We are in 2009.

lets not forget that this gentleman was having a night out with his wife as any private person is entitled to .that makes it even worse and leads one to wonder if this a reflection on the intolerance and arrogance of the present administration

I show my full solidarity to my friend Charlon and his wife of what has happened last night.

Hope these people will be caught by the police and will be arraigned as soon as possible.

We cannot tolerate these type of accidents in our country that suppose it is a democratic country.

Charlon keep on doing your good work within the Labour Party and the Media.

Kuraġġ.

When such thing happens to a known Nationalists the labour media comes up with the vague excuse that the perpetrator must have been provoked. I am sure that the Nationalists party who have suffered so much from labour thugs in the past and even during the recent elections will not imitate labour and unequivocally condemn this act of violence

All my solidarity goes to Charlon and his family! ...and it's worthwhile extending it to all those who strive to bring out the truth in a country dominated by blatant but esteemed liars! The free flow of information cannot be - and will not be - suffocated by those who assaulted Charlon and their likes!

Violence, lies and cowardice seem to be the only resort people in power (but not in control!) have in reply to the country's general feeling about official state arrogance!

My last hope is that the Police will not let themselves be part of the staged reactions of omerta` and pseudo-legality that are usually adopted as face-savers and cover-ups in such cases.

OUR COUNTRY DESERVES BETTER!

Shame on whoever was responsible for the attack. Surely in such a small island it is easy to identify the persons who committed this act. Putting blame on political partiy supporters (unless they are well known trouble makers) should stop because once it starts there is no way of stopping it. Both political parties would do well to use neutral tones when reporting events on media in order not to divide the Maltese even more.

Violence is a tool in the hands of those who have no arguments!! This act (and any violent act for that matter) is disgusting and if ,I repeat IF, this was just politically motivated which I'd like to believe it was not then this country had better pull its socks up and take a deep and good look at itself!!

Solidarity with Charlon Gouder and his family and may the perpetrators heads hang in shame!!!

Irrespectively of whether the attackers were PN thugs or not, I strongly urge the PN to express its condemnation of this barbaric act and also solidarity with Mr. Gouder. As a main player in the political scene, the PN has to confirm its commitment against violence of any sort and for whatever reason.

Whilst I do not see eye to eye with Mr Gouder I do believe that whatever the reason for the assault this should never have happened

@ R. Spiteri

"Mr Gouder reported that the two men insulted him and the party, before starting to hit him."

This country has had enough of the rhetoric.
This action has to be condemned by all and no excuses.

Whatever our political affiliation nobody can condone such deeds.

And more importantly we all hope that Charlon has a speedy recovery and will be back to work asap.

@ Mike Pace
First of all solidarity to the Gouder couple. Any kind of violence is to be condemned.
But, Mike Pace , either you do not know who Pinochet was ( and that's a bit serious ) or you have a one track mind ( and that's FATAL ) !!

Solidarity with Charlon & wife.Hope the agressors will be caught!

Such behaviour should be condemned by both parties (as has been happening in the recent past) but both also should refrain from making believe that such persons do not exist with the result of giving the perception that such things are present in only one party. Give us a break.....we know that us Maltese are not all saints and halos!

all violence is to be condemned.

Zero tolerance to violence.
Violent behaviour should be a main concern not only in this case, but wherever violence is perpetrated.
Racism was probably an issue in the latest tragic occurrence in Malta’s Paceville. But it is not the only one that triggers violence, many people are not facing the whole problem.
If we really abhor violence, we should condemn it strongly whoever the victim.

Mr Tony Borg, i do not see why PN have to issue a press release about this incident.

I do not agree about what happened, but no one knows for now who these people are and what was the motive of it. This incident should not be used as a political issue and people are saying in this blog accusing indirectly that they must be PN supporters.

For all we know it could be Chalon who provoked the fight. Whatever happens i hope that those responsible are arrested. Lets not make a political issue out of this incident.

@Oliver Cini

I agree with you Mr. Cini. PN has nothing to do with this incident, like the Labour party had nothing to do with what happened in Mqabba last December and in Zejtun during the EP elections.

My solidarity to Charlon Gouder.

David Buttigieg
You can apply that to the 60's under PN.

@J Martinelli

Why do you limit violence in Malta only to the 70s and 80s. Have you forgotten the rampant violence in the 1960s when you couldn't read a Labour newspaper without being condemned, you couldn't be employed unless you had a letter from the village priest declaring that you were of good moral order and that eventually Labourites were "exported" en masse to distant lands while the Nationalist Party and the umbrella faction groups didn't raise one finger in protest? How convenient to say that democrary begins with people like you.

Solidarity with Charlon Gouder and his wife following this sad violent attack.

Barbarri, no other word!!!! Cannot believe these people still exist, I thought they were extinct long ago.

F'darek, fuq xogholok, f'pajjizek bla biza, 22 years had passed from this promise, but it had GONE WITH THE WIND like all the other promises

@ E Marmara
Does it really matter where this assault took place??


When will this country grow up once and for all???
I am very proud to be Maltese...however this kind of news greatly erodes such pride!!!

Mr Kenneth Camilleri: I think it is the police who 'should make an effort to step up investigations' NOT the PN as you stated. What's your motive?

Some people in this country still believe that to express their opinion or show disagreement with someone, violence is their only solution. Everyone, whatever the opinion, has the right to be employed with a political party. Violence is not a way how to discuss politcs.
Justice for Charlon.

"Nikkundanna l-att ta’ vjolenza fuq il-Media Executive tal-Partit Laburista Charlon Gouder".

Mr Emmanuel Marmara
I think that Nikita Zammit Alamango knows that the assault on Mr Gouder happened at Gianpula because in every news update on One radio, they mentioned that the assualt happened at Gianpula.
My solidarity goes to Mr Gouder. We want immediate JUSTICE NOW.
thanks

i don't agree with violence but people here not knowing what happened etc can't judge and PN has nothing to do with it until proven otherwise right?

This and many other fights happens everyday around this island i only hope that not only this case gets investigated but all others cos Charlon is no batter then other citizens of this small island.

@ Joe Grima

Your comments remind me of the saying, 'The pen is mightier than the sword', in which case, if true, your writing is more insidious than the blows which Charlon Gouder received.

I would like to join the vast majority to condemn such an incident without reservation whatsoever and cannot comment on the reason why this incident even took place.

It is quite uncommon for someone to attack another without provocation of some sort be it verbal, written or the use of body language.

No we do not need, nor desire to go back to the 70s and 80s and the police should make an honest effort to apprehend the two assailants and bring them to justice. There ought to have been a number of witnesses and one, possibly, could have taken a picture of the incident using his mobile(?)

@ Emanuel Marmara

Besides knowing Charlon personally, I heard it on the news (radio). However, no i was not present.

The difference is that in the eighties the police would have been part of the group of thugs and upon going to report it he would have been the one arrested!

@Karen Bellotti/Joanne Micallef. Let's not get carried away. Why on earth are you assuming tthat Gouder was attacked by Nationalist thugs? And are you by any chance putting this solitary incident(by no means necessarily politically motivated), in the same category of the horrors and violence regularly committed in the 80s. Both of you mentioned the 80s when there was no reason whatsoever for doing so. Was it perhaps a Freudian slip on the part of both of you (unconnected, of course, I should assume)?

While I am at it, my sympathy goes to Mr and Mrs Gouder. One can't help wonder however, how some people come out with guns blazing in defence of a victim coming from the political class, when the same or a more serious accident to a mere mortal hardly attracts any attention.

Solidarity with Mr & Mrs Gouder. Such incidents should never happen. Shame!

What a shame!

@ E. Marmara
Ms. Alamango just mentioned the place. Doesn't mean she witnessed the assault on Mr. Gouder, so please be careful how you interpret certain statements.

I would also like to wish Charlon a fast recovery. Keep up the good work.

M Callus...SO? your point is?

My solidarity with Mr and Mrs Gouder.Shame on the aggressors!!.

miss nikita zammit alamango, are you sure and convinced that this happened due to Mr Gouder's political affiliation?

It's not ethical to comment this way unless you know all that a person's private life, whoever he/she is, is all about.

Needless to say that any act of violence is to be condemned.

@Emanuel Marmara'
Yes, the incident happended at Gianpula, it was confirmed on one of the local radio stations, there's no need for Ms Alamango to go forward to the police, as I'm sure there were hundreds of persons who witnessed the incident and know who the perpatrators are.

Shame on whoever is even tempted to perform such acts on WHOMEVER !
Solidarity with Charlon and his wife !

The two persons who assualted Charlon in this nightclub CANNOT be unknown. There must have been a good crowd around. Curious that bouncers took long to react and did not catch the aggressors. Or is it not safe for people like Charlon to attend these nightclubs?

@Emmanuel Marmara'. In the '80s ".Where the motto was ' IF YOU'RE NOT WITH US...YOU'RE AGAINST US ' ". As if today we're not in the same situation!! Come on Mr. Marmara'. Mention labourites in high places. Mention names of labourites in confidential places and authority. Of course you can't. Isn't this another way of ".Where the motto was ' IF YOU'RE NOT WITH US...YOU'RE AGAINST US '

Lets hope Justice wins this time. Solidarity with Charlon.

Still waiting for PN's condemnation of this attack. Usually they are very prompt to issue press releases to counter anything said or done by the PL. What are they waiting for?

Kuragg Charlon!!

How does Ms.Alamango knows that it happened at Gianpula? I haven't seen written or heard on the media that it happened at Gianpula.If on the other hand she saw what happened , should go forward to the police..Nobody wants those past unfortunate years to be awakened again..Where the motto was ' IF YOU'RE NOT WITH US...YOU'RE AGAINST US '

Such incidents should be condemned and are not permissible in this day and age....although regular beatings were a regular item back in the eighties.....

Univocal solidarity with Charlon Gouder and his wife on this cowardly attack. There are some who have learned nothing from our turbulent past and that , in 2009, they can only demonsrate their difference of opinion by using their fists. Little do they know how much of an act of political despair such action shows. The fist is the last resort of drowning politics that has read the writing on the wall and feels trapped in the face of a tidal wave of negative events coming its way from which there is no escape. That is when those who have no brains and beleive in the power of brawn lash out. I hope the police will now act. This young man and his wife deserve justice.

My solidarity goes to Mr. Gouder and his wife. Mr. Gouder is a journalist affiliated with a political party and is an important part of our democratic structure. I hope PN will make an effort to step up investigations and get the offenders to justice. This is a direct hit to freedon of expression irrespective of political parties which have nothing to do with this.

Our SOLIDARITY to Charlon & wife.

We want JUSTICE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shame! Solidarity with Charlon.

Only in Pinchoet era used to happened these matters and are we going back to the dark ages of the sixties were news reporters used to be attacked by thugs- good luck to Charlon keep up the good work

Leave the violence to the history books. This is very condemnable. The perpatrators should be arrigned.

I can very clearly imagine the hype if the person attacked happened to be from the PN. Guess one finds thugs everywhere and please note that we're in 2009 and not the 80's

My solidarity to Charlon and his wife

Violence and fighting in all forms are bad and sorry for Mr Gouder and his wife.

Police hurry up and catch these people and arraign them so that this unfortunate and stupid incident is contained and does not adopt a life of its own causing some sort of ripple effect.

Where were the bouncers??? Will Graffiti condemn this attack since it didnt concern a black person? And people mentioned what used to happen in 1980's!!! We are still in those waters.

Violence is always wrong whatever reason anyone can have...this is a coward act of people who thinks that violence can solve anything...we must learn from history and not repeat such actions which creates problems more than solve them...hope the police will catch this cowards

What happened at Gianpula is shocking and to be ashamed of.

Solidarity to Charlon and his wife!

Stop this violence... it is not the answer!