Sette Giugno monument

The Sette Giugno monument was recently removed from Palace Square, Valletta, to make way for water spouts, benches, and other knick-knacks which, by some obscure standards, were deemed to be of a higher artistic merit.

To sugar the pill, it was rumoured that the monument was likely to be integrated in the Renzo Piano City Gate project. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case.

Could the public be informed about the plans regarding the Sette Giugno monument? In an age where even the most humble wooden apertures are specified as conditions for development permits, how could the 'responsible' authorities allow the initiation of the works in Palace Square without assurance that the monument will be reinstated in a prestigious location as deserved?

This is no way to treat one of the most important works of the late Anton Agius who, to say the least, ranks among the best Maltese sculptors of the 20th century. In addition, it is a sign of disrespect towards the victims of the 1919 riots.

Following the threats to St John's Co-Cathedral and to the Sette Giugno monument, I wonder which part of our cultural patrimony will be the next target of such 'initiatives'.