‘They laughed as The Times went up in flames’

Remember the past ...but live for the future!

Mr Camilleri - I agree that all violence and ruthless acts should be condemned and never forgotten. That was never my point. I condemn, but do not fear Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Stalin, Rasputin and Vlad the Impaler. They're gone.

The same cannot be said for some of the people responsible for Black Monday and so many other shameful events. They're still alive and kicking in in Malta, actively trying to gain power and run the country again.

I was only a child an 8 year old child but seeing this documentary makes me relive the traumas of my childhood. It was horrible being of a different opinion from the leading social movements that supported the revolution Dom wanted to bring to Malta. Dr. Muscat`s recent comments hurt more when he tried to blame the PN for such violence. I am very Dr. Muscat but that was no comment of a future PM. Antother logical argument that the Socialists could come up with is that the people felt so oppressed from the colonial days, WWII , poverty and social exclusion that some extreme social movement ventilated the collective anger by targeting The Times (a symbol of the Colony) and Dr. Fenech Adami`s residence (symbol and the middle class and oppostion to the revoltuion). I can still here Dom`s voice and tone coming to our neighbourhood preaching subtly for violence. Dom`s has not been no Gandhi. So pls Labour starting owning responsability because until you do so many would doubt about trusting you with the running of this country. Thanks for those brave journalists of The Times that won their fear and continued rendering service to the True Revolution.

The Romans said the the gods first make mad those they want to destroy. On one hand we have Joseph Muscat making some sort of apology for the burning of The Times. On the other we have the MLP diehards on this bog insisting that it is Eddie Fenech Adami and the PN who should be doing the apologizing. And the all important floating voters and the optimists praying that the LP that has really distanced itself from its violent past wring their hands in dismay and despair!

@Joe Borg
To refresh you memory below is a "copy & paste" reproduction of an answer already given to another PL enthusiast asking the same question

@FenechMD
At Zebbug the aggressors were the MLP supporters who had maliciously deviated from the authorized route to their political meeting, jumped over police barriers and besieged the PN party club into which they were trying to force an illegal entry. The PN members inside the club, were the victims of an unprovoked aggression and were only trying to defend themselves and their families from the usual vandals because, as usual, a corrupted police force did not control that mob.

@zammit lupi
no history can ever be re-written.
all violence and ruthless acts should be condemned, whether they are still lived by involved wrongdoers, their legacy or not!
by your reasoning history should be forgotten when all involved parties are deceised, so when time is ripe shall we forget ALL shameful chapters whether done by LP, PN or the church??
Not at all.
We should learn lessons from them but commenting of factual events such as the incidents of the late 60s as if these never happened is totally unacceptable.

Why don't we thank God and Mary, Our Heavenly Mother for this is past history which we now have only to remember so that it would happen again instead of waking with fruitless comments past deaths.

A historical comment that goes hand in hand with this video is to remember that,at that time PN Leader Eddie Fenech Adami had the power to cause a civil war but he refrained also when they attacked his house and his family, including his old mother who lived with them at that time....why don't we mention to silent in which the church remained after terrorists attack the chaplain house in Floriana and profonated the tabernacle...and the church remained silent...at that time in yet Malta Kattolika it would had been a disaster attacking and insulting in that way the Holy Sacrament of Eucharisty....we shall remember also Mintoff decision to protect the PN House in Blata l-Bajda from being attacked...it would have been the end of Malta Indipendenti, Republika, Hielsa u fl-EU....

niftakru mhux l-inqas fil-ftit li batew frame ups, qtil, swat, bombi miz-zewg nahat u naqtaw darba ghal dejjem il-fanatizmu politiku li ghadu qed jirrovina l-Malta.

OK people, ....................pause.............. CUT.....CUT.....

Time to stand up :

L-INNU MALTI

Lil din l-art ħelwa, l-Omm li tatna isimha,

ħares, Mulej, kif dejjem Int ħarist:

Ftakar li lilha bl-oħla dawl libbist.



Agħti, kbir Alla, id-dehen lil min jaħkimha,

Rodd il-ħniena lis-sid, saħħa 'l-ħaddiem:

Seddaq il-għaqda fil-Maltin u s-sliem.



Kemm hu sabih L-Innu Malti,..............!!

Bhallissa qed naqra il ktieb ta Oliver Frigieri - Fjuri Li ma Jinxfux.

Mr Camilleri. Thanks for your comment. This is anything but a joke. I lived through those times and had to leave the country because of the situation. I couldn't give a toss about apologies. Joseph Muscat was a toddler when those events took place. Some of his closest partners are rather older, and were in power during those terrible days.

For one moment, let us put aside the fact that the catholic church and the government are separate entities. Please name one current PN mp who had any responsibility in the '60s. There lies one of the big differences. The MLP is not as renovated a party as you might like to think.

What a shame...............!!
Facts are facts, nobody can change thr past!!

@Aidan Zammit Lupi
"People who keep mentioning events that took place in the 60s should be aware that those responsible are out of the picture."

What a joke.
60s = 40 years ago - People responsible are out of the picture
70s = 30 years ago - People responsible are STILL IN the picture
80s = 20 years ago - People responsible are STILL IN the picture

Ask the once-mighty Church and they'll tell you which ones are still in the picture from their acts of the late 60s!!

By the way, the church made their apologies, the PN didn't, never!!

People who keep mentioning events that took place in the 60s should be aware that those responsible are out of the picture. The same cannot be said for the people who ran the country in the late 70s and early 80s. Some of them are important members of the LP today. They're still around. They haven't gone away. The only reason they do not behave as they did 30 years ago is that society today would not allow them to do so. There is more freedom and justice in Malta now, largely thanks to the PN. Few would have even dared to voice their opinions in those days. So many people were terrorised by the government.

Some say that the thugs were not controlled by the MLP. Let's bring the historical context into perspective. In 1979 the countries of the Warsaw pact were going strong. Eastern Europe was run by communist dictatorship. Solidarnosc was yet to be born. The MLP had strong ties with these countries and had their special forces trained by North Korean "experts". Malta seemed to be Gheddafi's second home. Mao "blue-suits" were everywhere. Taking his allies' example, Mintoff used brute force and fear to rule.

@BrianHansford.
The state sponsored violence of the MLP during the Mintoff-KMB era is actually the most recent prolonged experience by which the nation can judge what to expect from the LP if it is elected to power with the same crew that is now being taken aboard by Joseph Muscat. This action speaks much louder than his generic and unconvincing rhetoric. This is not a smokescreen at all. It is a grim foreboding that history may be about to repeat itself unless we learn the appropriate lesson from our recent past history!

@CecilHerbertJones.
I commiserate with you. I am all the time being accused of being a PN apologist because I resist the on-going attempt to rewrite the history of MLP violence that victimized me and many others mercilessly for many years. I never asked for any privileged treatment from the PN government but I did beg, and I am still begging for justice e.g. protection from MEPA persecution. I am losing hope. This type of neglectful and arrogant treatment of the PN faithful will be the cause of the poor show at the next election that may be lost be default.

I don`t know why all this buzz about what they are recalling to be Black Monday. Why not also mention when the BALLASTERS FELL in ZEBBUG........

"The one who does not remember history is bound to live it through again".
This is the warning of the philosopher George Santayana, but a commentator on this DVD, which puts on hard record the events of  Black Monday, tells us "Who is interested in what happened 30 years ago? These events will not happen again". The comments by contributors who seek to downplay, deny, excuse, or whitewash the criminal acts of Black Monday, or to distance the authorities, then in the hands of a Labour government,  from their share of responsibility, do not put one's mind at rest about the future. The same can be said for the election of old timers, who were in places of authority then, to the present party administration.

what was wrong 30 years ago was wrong however i don't see why all of a sudden we are talking about what happened in the past .
we have all suffered some time or another, we have our own stories to tell but lets not let what happened in the past divide us .
this is a smoke screen.

This video is just a historical documentary of the facts according to the times...what really led to it and who planned it (was it planned!?!) are nothing but theories with no proof so take it for what it is!

I was a kid at the time so didn't actually experience that day, thats why I decided to check out the clips. It actually gets funny at some points like when one of the narrators claims he walked out from the what he described as an inferno without getting burned! Another one got hit in the head but didn't feel any pain ... they must be immortals!!! Better still is the part which suggests a divine intervention saving a cross from being burned...come on!

IL PASSAT U MERA GHALL FUTUR
(dawk li huma safja u minghajr dnub jitfu l ewwel gebla)
kliem il mulej lill farizejj.
Amen.

I saw it go up in flames. This changed my life and perspective of politics.

@ Joe Grima - Tajjeb li tieqaf bl'ahhar kumment ghax izjed ma tighd qieghed tigbed il-gebla fuq saqajk u tkompli tinkonvincina li Mintoff u l-gvern li kien qed immexxi jekk ma kienx japprova dik il-marmalja laburista kienu mirkub minnha.

I still remember that evening, after work. passing through Freedom Square towards the buses, seeing the 'spontaneous' demonstration, which was mainly made up of male participants, getting organised. The hatred and aggressiveness that was evident on the face of those present was something, which I still remember to this very day. And by the way this grouping was all happening infront of the police. In this connection I would like to add that not one single senior officer had the ability to draw the attention of his superiors of what was happening, something which could have avoided all that fracas. We can all remeber the reported words of the late Dr. Mizzi to the then Police Commisioner, who claimed that his men were protecting the bust of Neric Mizzi, "ahjar iprotegejt il-hajjin milli l-mejtin". And this Police Commissioner remained at his post and was not dismissed on the spot. And as far as I know nobody was procesuted after that fracas.

@Dusty Williams,

At Bartolo's trial, the judge stated that Il-Fusellu was a person dangerous to society and Bartolo had had no choice but to shoot.

Just in case you forgot!

In that era I was in my early twenties. I condemn now as I did then those horrifying incidents which made me decide to vote PN. As I consider myself a citizen without any colour, I have voted for three different parties, according to circumstances. However, I wish to make clear that as everyone knows, the pen is mightier than the sword and the violent actions of black Monday were a frustrated result, accumulated through time, of biased journalism (including church media) and provocations against the MLP. Notwithstanding these facts, I chose to vote against violence; but let not the provocateurs rest contented that they are without any guilt.

Far more damaging than anything concerning the parties's politics and those terrible times is the loss of the archive. Malta as a whole lost its dignity and lost part of its history or historical artifacts. The mentality of those people that did this act still lurks on the island and not as dormant as one would like it to be. It can be met on day to day basis. I believe this is the downfall of many things on the island and has nothing to do with political parties. Having been a victim in those days I dont think things have really changed and that doesnt matter much, what really matters about this whole story is that, that archive is lost and no politician and no wannabe will bring it back. The loss is for the whole island!! All your discussions at this point are pretty useless what happened happened and one has to live with the consequences either physically or morally, each to his respective acts. Many thank those days, a brilliant incentive to leave the island, never look back, just look down!

Mr. Editor. ( 2) The Curia affair is totally different. The persons who organised the breakin were anticlerical communists. God haters. Some of them used to spit on the priests and members of the "Musew". The person who organised the Curia job used to gather the young apprentices and tell them unticlerical jokes, show them porno movies and get them involved in gambling. He corrupted the young, but after the Curia job his life was cut short. Others who entered that building with him suffered too. Two others that I know of died prematurely and some are physically punished. I was persecuted and threatened that if I open my mouth I will find myself at the bottom of the no.4 dock. One day a high ranking MLP canvasser told me that I must make plans to leave. I told him that I had already put my name in to emigrate to Australia. They checked this with the government office and from then on I was left alone.

Mr. Editor. I was employed at the MDD when all this fracass about the Curia, TOM, and other acts of terrorism occured. Most of the organising was done by a group of selected people from inside the MDD. The transport was supplied by the MDD. Those who went out during those days did not bundy off and returned back to work to recieve a full days work. This also made them immune to prosecution because they were at work !!! This is all history. As for as the TOM and the political party buildings, they where a liability and were all rebuilt better and stronger. The TOM brought in the most modern of machinery to replace the broken ones. I think that whoever demolished the TOM actually did you a favour.
The Curia affair is totally different. Those persons who broke into the Curia and did acts of vandalism and other horrid things that cannot be mentioned were taken care of by THE CREATOR. Most of them are dead and the rest have been punished in various ways, both physical or mental.

@JoeGrima
Whom are you trying to fool with your version of a “powerless” Mintoff being cornered by “lawless adulators” because his own “police don’t respond to lawlessness”? Mintoff was the Minister responsible for that police force moulded according to his fashion, under half a dozen Commissioners and Acting Commissioners of Police changed in quick succession until he found a durable one – pity that he was the one who ended his career in prison in connection with a murder at the Police Headquarters. During that time no uniformed policeman would dare say “boo” to your MLP “loose cannon balls” because they knew that they themselves were under the scrutiny of colleagues in plain clothes from the “security” and DIK section planted among the “loose cannon balls”.

It seems that the terror existed under the Labour during the 70`s and 80`s...what about the 60`s ? Do anyone remember what happened ? The victimization, the mizbla, not even the L-orizzont could be read in the St`. Lukes hospital, when the socialist delegation at Zurrieq was shot on by gunfire, when Meetings of Lour were hindered by the Nationalist and Labour supporters were thugged with stones at Gozo after Rabat meeting, when to enter the police squad you had to be a Nationalist, when if you was a Labour supported you were not entitled to Care ( social benefit of that time ). I am not justifying what happened to the incident that happened to the times and to EFA, but history is there to be qouted in full...nothing else and nothing more.Let`s be honest. I close my intervention refering back to violence in 1930`s when a member of my Family, Carmelo Carabott was brought to courts in the famous seduction act ( Sir Ugo Mifsud PN Prim Minister at that time ).

I lived in the same street at the time. That incident and the ones where police wearing helmets and armed with battons threw rocks at innocent bystanders (saw them with my own eyes), damaged properties in St Paul Street between Brittania Street and St John Street , brought shame to the culprits, the then police commissioner and the then Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. That era pushed me away from my country and turned me off Labour to the point that if Labour covers Malta in gold, I will not vote for Labour. That was the time when Maltese citizens were being attacked by the Maltese police force and Gaddafi and his mates were treated like royalty. You can say whatever you want, I was there, I saw bleeding innocent people suffering. The culprits were nothing short of a pack of wild dogs including the people who initiated the attacks and condoned it.

I don't personally see anything wrong with The Times commemorating this event. It is part of their history and ours as well. All history comes with the good and its bad.

For those who say they will never vote PL because of this... probably you don't want anything to do with Germans, Italians, French, Arabs and other European countries for the pain they caused to this country in the past... oh and probably you dislike the Church as well, using the same example. With your reasoning black people would never forgvive white ones, women would never forgive men, etc. Is this what you want a divided world for eternity because of its past?

As for PL changing its name to hide its past as MLP... Let's not forget who promoted his election as Gonzipn instead of PN

I am not surprised that PN fans still critisize PL on past issues. We PL prefer to critisize on current issues... those which are touching each and everyone right now. Progressive not Regressive

Hallina JoJo Grima, you cannot fool us. You honestly believe that the Labour Party, YOUR party could have handled, indeed been able to deal with the current international crisis. Bulk buying, undemocratic rules and regulations perhaps??

Why the Labour Party is afraid when such shameless acts committed by Labour supporters in the past are reminded to new voters? It is high time that such acts are brought to the attention to whoever who did not experienced these acts of vandalisim.
Yes the Labour Party is sitll the same party as that of the 1979/1980s. Only faces changed, the principles are still the same.

It takes 2 to Tango

@ Joe Grima - Do please regale us with your thoughts on the September 1984 incidents regarding the Curia and the Law Courts. Particular reference to the fact that KMB was aboard one of the massive trucks - along with several "drydocks men" - driving down Sta Lucia Street immediately after the Courts' destruction would be welcome. (And please do not say that it is hearsay - I was a seventeen-year-old pupil-worker at the time, barricaded in a Sta Lucia Street office along with other petrified colleagues, including die-ard Labourites.)

@ Joe Grima. On EFA's national reconciliation project, I don't think its done too badly. The open discussion here is evidence of this. Reconciliation however can only succeed completely when ex-perpetrators of violence face up to their past and their victims.
Look at the Truth Commission in South Aftrica as one example. Or take Germans today, right in the heart of Europe when 65 years ago they were on the rampage across the continent. And how did they do it? Because in both cases, the aggressors apologised unreservedly. And hence they were, by and large, forgiven. Thats when people can start to move on once and for all. Nothing is more liberating than granting forgiveness.

Mistakes are made are they not? Its when they are repeatedly made that begs forgiveness in vain however. I was a PN kid at the time of this political persecution 30 years ago, and was also blacklisted to guarantee I would never get a job with government. That molded my life to an extent. Yet I hoped the PN would get things right someday, at least for us PN kids.

I was a kid no more when the PN were finally in government 22 years ago, but my hope still lingered very much alive. To my disappointment I witnessed a PN strategy whereby the MLP terrorists were given cushy jobs and housing in a bid to convert them (not into sainthood of course), and the MLP manipulators were trusted with lucrative projects. Canvassers of the late Lorry Sant became PN advocates, and MLP entertainers were given grants and opportunities to further their talents, even to represent Malta, all in a bid to convert them. The PN really didn't need to do that!

The MLP thugs burned the Times to the ground but the PN kids held on to their faith. For what???

@JoeGrima
I quoted you correctly. The precise “context’ in which you used those exact words was in connection with the violence of your “loose cannon balls” as demonstrated at Tal-Barrani. It is not out of context because you are putting up a defence not just for the burning down of The Times but for the long reign of terror during which, according to you: “Mintoff never sent anyone to do anything untoward”. Of course not! Those “loose cannon balls” were not referred to as “ta’ Sant u Wistin” for nothing. If you want to know why they escaped prosecution please read and digest my comment @FenechMD (90 mins. after your original comment). You know better than I do who was the Minister responsible for the Police.

Remember, Remember ....................I remember all sorts of things................so what !!!!

It only means that I have a very good memory, .....................and beleive me I have !!!

Understanding is really what counts here, Remembrance should be a catalyst to thinking and hence, understanding which is called the LEARNING PROCESS.

VIOLENCE IS ALLWAYS DEPLORABLE WORLDWIDE --------- FACT.

Shame on the Laburisti, shame on the Nazzjonlisti !!!!!! Yeah, yeah yeah shame on all of you who point fingers, does it make one feel better,....................come on............. I don't think so .........

I meet europeans that look down upon the Maltese till this day of age !!! One called me a terrorist, another told me that Malta is un-important and laughed, another laughed and ridiculed my mother language, Malti (what a priviledge that I speak it) another told me that Malta is full of apes !!!!!

I read the comments here below and guess how do I feel..........................................

You know something people : NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN MALTA YET EVERBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN OTHER NATIONS.

Respect the history of political struggle of Malta and look at the future because Malta is under threat again, it's called ECONOMIC NATIONALISM. ............Think about it.

A Joseph Gaffarena. L'Ahhar kumment. Min ghandu l-ghamad partigjan quddiem ghajnejh ma jistax jara dawk l-avvenimenti koroh b'mod spassjonat, l-iktar ghaliex ghal dawn l-ahhar ghoxrin sena il partit Nazzjonalista thalla jpingi lill amminstrazzjonijiet Laburisti bil kuluri li ried. Dan gara minhabba li Mintoff kellu iktar min izebilhu fost dawk li mexxew warajh milli kellu Nazzjonalisti li ghal hajjithom kollha kienu opponewh. Ghall hmieg kollu li ntefa fuqu mill avversarji teighu, tul is snin minn mindu waqa l-Gvern Laburista, la Mintoff ma ddefenda lilu nnifsu u lanqas ma ddefendewh dawk li mexxew warajh hlief Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici. Jien inhalli f'idejn dawk li mhumiex mghomija bil politika partigjana, u lill Istorja, biex jiggudikaw. Fil mizien li storja twaddab mhux biss in nieqes, kif imdorrija jghamlu l-avversarji ta dak li jkun, imma z-zejjed ukoll. Meta jkunu ghaddew ftit generazzjonijiet u storici ndipendenti jibdew janalizzaw dawk iz zmienijiet u l-protagonisti assocjati maghhom , forsi jibda hiereg bilanc gust.

@ Joe Grima

" To my knowledge, Mintoff never sent anyone to do anything untoward....With their lawlessness, some of his greatest adulators had him cornered and, on those occasions, rendered him helpless. When the police don't respond to lawlessness there is nothing anyone else can do".
The harder you defend the man, the more you seem to expose his impotence given that, in your own words, he, the Prime Minister could not order the violence stopped. Alfred Sant did and according to many Labour supporters (including yourself) , he does not even come close to Mintoff!

A Prime Minister who could not control the Police Force, which documentaries show that they took the side of the Mintoffian mob and beat up Nationalist supporters who dared hold a public meeting with all the necessary permits in place!? Looking the other way while all the shenanigans were taking place is no sign of gutsy leadership.

Hallina Sur Grima! Within the Labour Party, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

QUOTE: "... according to former Labour minister Joe Grima ..."Without doubt it was an ugly day, but responsibility for those events lies solely with the individuals who perpetrated them," he insisted, describing the thugs as "loose cannons".

He condemns the violence but argues Labour was as big a victim of the event as those who got hurt.

"Those people went haywire. They are the ones responsible and nobody else. Unfortunately, history only recalls the political spin, which chastised the Labour Party, when nobody in the party ever gave orders for The Times to be burnt down or Dr Fenech Adami's house to be ransacked," he said." UNQUOTE ( http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091011/black-monday/shades-of-black-monday )

So Joe Grima would have us believe that Labour were not DIRECTLY involved in the Black Monday incidents in 1979. I would be interested to know what has he got to say about the 1984 incidents involving the Curia, the Law Courts, etc. The infamous drydocks men were, after all, accompanied on at least one of their trucks by KMB for part of the way (down Sant Lucia Street, Valletta - directly down the road from the Law Courts.) If that is not Labour’s open approval of the violence, then I don’t know what is.

Sur Grima,fuq punt ta informazzjoni u klariffikazjoni, nixtieq nigbed l attenzjoni ta minn hu matrur bizejjed,li dak it terrur ma kienx ta darba biss, imma kien ripettut aktar minn darba, u tkun ta dahk li tghid li ma kiex bil barka ta xi awtorita.Ma nahsibx li minn kien responnsabli mill pulizija,dan ma kienx jaf bih, u qatt ma wera sinjal li jaqbad lill dawk il hamalli.Possibli,ma kienx hemm rimors tara dak il vandallizmu kollhu gewwa djar ta nies. Jien l ittra li mintoff wassal lill mabel strickland, inhossa li kienet ittra aktar ta sfida sarkastika milli ta sobgha.
Nahseb ikun aktar ahjar,li nieqaf hawn ghax il poplu mhux iblah, u jaf ezatt it terrur li sezzjoni tal poplu ghaddiet minnhu.

Unfortunately I remember that day very very well..... I was passing from St Ursola street when the incident happened..... and some of The Times staff members were all gathered in a balcony crying for help...... a terrible memory!

On that evening I with my wife and deligent dog were walking up St Pauls Str. Out of the blue about five persons came over heading to the Progress Press, the young police inspector gave orders to his subordinates to move the van infront the main door of the building. I assume that the police constables new exactly what was planned and while resetting that caps and murmuring some words they moved away totally ignoring the police inspector. Then these five persons sarted hitting the main and one of the side doors with some irons pipes when suddenly the main door started opening nicely for the trouble makers to walk in. Knowing the heavy main doors of the press I found really perpexling how the main door gave in after few blows with some iron pipes. Did they have some friendly help???? Or may be one of them hid inside before closing?

People in politics are remembered by others in different ways, each one through his own experiences. I know Mintoff differently from those who may have been subjected to pain when he was in power. Now for some answers. Dr Francis Saliba. If you quote me, quote me correctly. The phrase you quote is out of context. @Joseph Gaffarena "Dak iz zmien kien zmien ta terrur ghan nies onesti. Kienu nies organnizati,bil barka ta l awtoritajiet" Il kelma "Awtoritajiet" hija vaga. Biex twahhal htija, jekk ghandek provi ta nies fil gholi li taw barka lill min ghamel il hsara , semmihom.@E Vassallo. Political transfers should be made criminally attributable in adminsitrations. I sympathise with those who were subjected to transfers under both Labour and Nationalist administrations. Like the colour of blood, political pain does not differentiate between Labourites and Nationallsts. It hurts them both in the same degree. Both sides had within them people who inflicted political pain on their adversaries. Perhaps now is the time for a retry of EFA's attempt at national reconciliation which never materialised. It all depends on what is important to us all: Hanging on to our past or striving together for a better future?

Most disgusting shall i say. Narrow minded ruthless people who knew no better. Having said so this newspaper has alway to date gave more than a helping hand to the nationalist party and labour still has to device a strategy to counter the imbalance within the english lang media landscape. Last Sunday s edition was a case in point. While everyone was discussing Tonio Fenech s trip to watch footie, the Times preferred to run Jason Micallef s reply on front page. Who the hell cares about Jason s bickering when the country is in shambles. Now lets get back to work and focus on serious current affairs which will shape our tomorrow.

When I read what Mr.Grima has to say I am always perplexed. Mr.Grima is like a thieve who formed part of a group that made a hold up in a bank but he stayed outside because he was driving the car. One might ask is that thief as guilty as the others? In my opinion and that of many cases we have seen in court he is, and trying constantly to rinse himself of the stains is no use. His other point regarding provocation is an insult to those with a tiny bit of intelligence. What Mr.Grima is trying to say is that if one is provoked to commit an act of vandalism than he is not guilty. Please sell this story to those who cannot read it because it does not make sense. Even if these tugs were provoked the act cannot be justified. And if the Times has become the eternal ally of the PN than Mr.Grima has only to thank the ‘Marmalja Labutista’ that in its unique style burnt down the press and wreaked havoc throughout the country. But again how silly of me, these were not Labourites they were loose cannons shot from anonymous red cannons

Shame on the LP. They can never be trusted to govern Malta. Not even if they change their name of the Party, their party emblem. They will always remain the same. Only the PN will save us from this thing to repeat itself again.

@James Portelli. Your facts are wrong. I left active poiitcs when I did not contest the 1992 election because I was in serious disagreement with KMB's drugs distribution policy. I left, not because I thought Labour would not be elected, but because I believed a trusted number cruncher who assured us Ministers that Labour would win by 52%. As Cabinet Minister I did not want to have to approve KMB's misguided drug policy. I accepted NetTV's invitation in 1999 , seven years after I left politics. Your theory leaks like a sieve. I never converted to anything. I held my own views and the people I worked with, top-grade Nationalists, but gentlemen I still respect, knew precisely what I stood for. We worked together in harmony, not expecting anything from each other but fair and balanced weekly TV programmes in which all parties had their say. Don't fool yourself.There are no blameless governments. Just look around you and declare here and now that this Government or the majority of these Ministers are blameless for the pitiable state our country is in. Finally, beatification is not for me Mister. Neither is it for any of yours. Politicians don't take that route.

@D Bonello What a drama queen! September 11: a nation at war with an enemy whose whereabouts are still unknown and resulted in the death of 2,995 people (not including the death of military personell as a result of the US retaliation of the attack) 9/11 left its mark on the US and global economy. To even consider putting this day on the same level as 9/11 is an insult to its victims...so please come up with arguments that make sense or don't bother writing at all..

@Joe Grima There were police present when the Times was ransacked and attacked. I do not think that your radio station was put on fire in front of police officers. But what I find really despicable is the fact thet YOU continue blaming the Nationalist on provocations. Notwithstanding my father was ill during the early eighties he was politically transfered from one place to another. JOE GRIMA, provocation my foot!!!!!!

@joe grima shame on your mintoff let as never forget tks to THE TIMES

Shame on whoever did this - and even more Shame on those who, even now, stand up for them, making excuses, trying to justify it. Loose cannons indeed! PULL THE OTHER ONE!Never mind New Labour - the roots go too deep! I, for 1, can never forget the years when violence was legalised, and hoodlums given free rein to bully and terrorise.

Thanks to Eddie Fenech Adami and the PN that this country didn't go into a civil war at that time.

Hallina sur grima, Kemm qbizt int meta harqullek l istazzjon ta radio, jew insejt. Dak iz zmien kien zmien ta terrur ghan nies onesti. Kienu nies organnizati,bil barka ta l awtoritajiet.Jien qatt mhu se ninsa dak iz zmien ta terrur, Jien ghalija mintoff aktar ghamel deni milli gid,Jien ex haddiem it tarzna, u naf sewwa x qed nghid. Ma nafx kif niex bhall dawn x kuxjenza ghandom.

@JoeGrima Presumably you are the same Joe Grima who formed part of the MLP inner circle at the time of this political violence by the “loose cannon balls”. At that time your advice to those hurt by that violence was “to get out of the kitchen if it is too hot for you!” It is no wonder that you would not like to be reminded of that violence.

@E Gatt. Putting words in my mouth doesn't work. Mintoff was not the despot that Nationalists have portrayed him to be. There are moments in politics when very powerful men are left powerless by events out of their control. To my knowledge, Mintoff never sent anyone to do anything untoward. When accusations arose, his policy was to send the suspected one to the courts to defend himself and await the outcome. With their lawlessnes, some of his greatest adulators had him cornered and, on those occasions, rendered him helpless. When the police don't respond to lawlessness there is nothing anyone else can do. Take the case of my arsoned property, radio station and my car ten years ago. The police have still not come up with the perpetrators in court. Am I not also a helpless victim in this case? Who sent them? MIntoff used eloquent but aggressive language to confront his critics. He also made his own mistakes. That having been said he remains to this day, Malta's greatest benefactor for what he left behind for all Maltese to enjoy. This space is too small to discuss a gigantic personality such as Dom Mintoff. Meet me in other forums.

@Joe Grima Are you the same Joe Grima who went to the PN TV station, Net, when you figured that Labour didn't stand any chance of getting into government for a number of years? Joe Grima the convert? Joe Grima who was a member of the blameless Labour government? The very same Joe Grima who should, in fact, be beatified?

@ AlexSaliba I am so glad that you noticed that the attacks on the MLP clubs after they lost the 1987 election were stopped within 48 hours. You should have noticed also that culprits were prosecuted and sentenced not excused as “hotheads” or “loose cannon balls”. That regretted explosion of a pent up anger to the previous decade of MLP violence was quickly suppressed once and for all. Contrast that with the prolonged violence of the Mintoff-KMB era and the immunity given to the offenders – when they were not actually praised as the “aristocracy of the workers’ movement.

Give us a break dear Times!! Nehhu l-maskra w ikxfu l-libsa li ghandkom taht dak il-kowt imgemmed biex tibqghu kredibbli!! Se jkollna dokumentarji simili f'dati ohra matul is-sena??

This story and anniversary of event is part of Malta's history and deserves to be marked, as the Times has done. It shouldn't now 30 years on create a political debate, but allow each individual to remember how things were then and to hope that these situations never arise again.

I am not justifying what happened in this event and I totally condemn it, but to publish such events after 30 years is totally unnecessary and unfair on all Labour open minded voters. We should also keep in mind and also mention that the Times, at that time, persecuted Socialist voters mercilessly on their newspaper. To be a Socialist was to have a pact with the devil himself. Like I said before this event or any violence is never justified at all, but everybody used his best means available at that time to pass on the message. It was a sad era for all Maltese but thank God we have overcome the violence, we have grown politically mature, and we enjoy our freedom of speech to express our views online even if we come from different backgrounds. My sympathy goes to all the Times staff who had nothing to do with this but suffered the consequences. In my opinion, we should bury once and for all the sad moments and events that separated us from each other as a Nation.

@ Alex Saliba,

Sorry but that is not an apology but an opportunistic justification.....and, merit when it's due, on the count of opportunism there is no one on the same level of Joseph Muscat.

For the rest....never mind!

@ Ms Rachel Galea:

1) Regarding the apprehension of the cold-blooded murderers of Karin Grech, we all remember a prominent PN leader saying, during a public meeting, that he knew who was responsible and would bring them to justice. Then, despite being in power for many years, the promise evaporated into thin air, like so many others.

2) The Addolorata Cemetery belongs to the state, not to the Church. When people where buried in the "mizbla" it was with the approval and the connivance of the PN government of the day.

I do not recal ever hearing any apology for this.

@ J Grima

As a minister of Mintoff’s cabinet, you naturally know the man more than the rest of us. We remember Mintoff as a fiery bully who was literally adored by his supporters. Is this a wrong impression we have? His letter to Mabel Strickland was the right thing to do, but why did he not investigate the violence and stop it? Are you suggesting that he was powerless? I don’t think so.

Mintoff also had the power to call a snap election to solve the 1981 election results. He didn’t. Instead he pushed KMB to the front row and the Socialists undemocratically clung on to power for 5 ½ years. Perhaps you can dispel our thoughts that Mintoff was not the ‘Strongman’ of Malta after all but a powerless orator.

@FenechMD
Just in case you did not know! The policemen in uniform knew very well that their role was to behave like the three monkeys who saw nothing, heard nothing and said nothing. And they were aware of their colleagues. from the Security and DIK branch, out of uniform, mixing with the violent mob and watching so that no uniformed P.C. took his truncheon out of his pocket or did anything to hamper the violence of the “hotheads”.

Franco Farrugia
If you read without your blue blinkers..you can see that no-one is justifying the facts..but to try are stir up these 20 year old hatred serves no one in malta...if they wanted to honor the victims..then they should have mentioned all victims .fullstop ..otherwise this will go on..people will defend themselves say but you did that and you did taht..all childish in my opinion..if you really truly want to honor the victims then no problem make a memorial ..revisit the episodes on tv etc..but not as a one sided political gain..it must be fair if they want to unite malta.

Like all horrible things that happen through the years in the world. Those who have been touched by the experience tend to remember the events more accutely. One has to remember that the lives of those who worked at the Times at the time no matter of what party they where had their lives put in danger. Being an ex Times imployee even though I was not there at the time of the incident i still have horrible memories of seeing my work place in ruins. It is good to revisit the past and remember, as long as we all learn from it, no matter of what political party. Which is why the Twin Towers tragedy is remembered yearly as are other major tragedies. Let s pray that all the Maltese have learnt from the past and never again will except that such incidents happen again.

@ Joe Grima

And are we supposed to believe you or are you suggesting that even the police hiding evidence, mounting frame ups and when on a high beating the hell out selected individuals were also "loose cannons, not even remotely connnected to anyone in Government"

History repeats itself. Is a pity to read how easily we shrug off historical events that we do not want to remember because thruth often offends. Hitler did what he did becuase people wre complacement. What happened in Germany, repeated itsedlf in Bosnia, Croatia and other countries, all in the name of justice and power. We remewmber past events to keep a watch out against those who might try to make us forget in order to bring out their policies, which might look nice, b ut deep inside remain the same, the wolf cannot but change his hide.

Ha ha ha. I tell you what. Because of what happened so many years ago by those people involved at that time in point, Labour should never be elected to power. So now we stop holding elections and PN should always stay in power no matter how financially they have ruined this country. Wishful thinking indeed. PN your time in Govt is over and much over due, no matter what next time it`s surely going to be Labour. Lanqas thobbuh il-poter :) .

Every country and those who live in it has a history, and its not always the best history that is remembered. Everyone has a right to remember any past incident that effected them, what we have to do is sympathise and accept that what happened happened, and then continue to move on having learned the lesson that must be learned from that incident.

Let us all look forward not backwards! This story is just manned up to tarnish the new image and Vision that the LP has built during these part years.
Joseph Muscat has made a formal apology in his first Parliamentary speech for all the mistakes that some elements within the party committed when they fell for the Nationalist provocation!
If we want to re-discover history as a whole let us not forget Karin Grech, a teenage girl killed innocently, let us not forget all the PL clubs destroyed by the Nationalist tugs after the 87 General Election namely:

ATTARD, BALZAN, BIRGU,B'KARA, FLORIANA, GZIRA,HAMRUN, KALKARA, LIJA, MARSASKALA, MELLIEHA, MOSTA, MSIDA, NAXXAR, PAOLA, RABAT,ST JULIANS, SAN GWANN, SLIEMA, ST VENERA, TARXIEN, TA XBIEX, ZEBBUG, AND VALLETTA

All these PL CLUBS were distroyed from the 'ANGLI TAL-PACI' WITHIN 48hours.

let us not forget all those PL SUPPORTERS who during the past years have suffered continuous injustices from the Nationalist government on their workplaces!

WE need change in our country and change cannot be achieved by trying to commemorate past mistakes, still if you all want to remember history, recall it in a fair and impartial way!

The Times has every right to remind and commemorate past events as fits its own agenda.

If we are frustrated that our collective (sectorial) on-going mental anguish, as a result of what we consider to be injustice and humiliation throughout nationalist administrations. is completely ignored, we only have ourselves to blame.

I do not think that the Times tries to hide its bias.

It is therefore naive to an extreme to expect the Times to highlight said distress.

It is us who have failed to highlight our experiences to an extent that the mere mention of mental torment under nationalist administrations is easily ridiculed by the extreme nat wing not least because most of us accept our sufferings as an inevitable feature of our existence.

Of course no process is static and progression brings us to today and what I see as an inculcated national culture of management mediocrity and incompetence.

As a consequence, humiliation is now being dished out to all (movers) and sundry. Not even Nat back-benchers are spared.

and why shouldn't The Times commemorate the destruction of it's OWN building??! It has every right.
@ Dusty Williams.....to even try and equate the burning down of the Times with the killing of one of Malta's most vicious criminals shows just how much your mentality is still the same. Before Labour issue a deep and sincere apology I will NEVER EVER even consider voting for them....ever.

ctd. Is anybody denying the violent element among the Labour party supporters of those days, which element was successfully weeded out by Alfred Sant when he took over in 1992? And how come this element could do anything and everything and get away with impunity? How come these characters could not be brought under control by the Police? Is it possible the Police were incapable of dealing with a gang of a dozen or two and keep them in check?

Yes, this was a shameful event that involved The Times and one would expect to remember it each year.

What I find annoying is how come this newspaper never features something Dom's suffering when he was at University, how his family were treated and how Nationalist supporters used to spread the word that Labourites used to have a demon's tail? And what about the bombs that stopped after the May election of 1987? Have we forgotten that period where bombings next to Labour households were the order of the day?

How come all these apologists below does not mention something about the vandalism caused to the place of burial of close relatives to Mintoff?!

Can we be mature for once?!

It is HISTORY that nobody can eradicate.

Shame on those who want to forget such events. These events should be remembered every year. Such events should have never happened in the first place and I am glad that whoever profited from the situation was not the one who instigated that chaos, one should have thought of that before. Its no faulth of anyone that these ugly events are remembered and once forgotten, these events will happen again. Sadly that is part of history now.

Some of the comments are beyond belief...they remind me of the statements by the Iranian president who says the holocaust of the Jews in WWII was a myth. Is anybody implying that the gutting of the TOM did not take plece, or that it was carried out by a few socialist hot-heads as Mintoff had subsequently described it? Or that the MLP regime did not use thugs to instil fear in the people? Then, who was Fusellu, il-Qahbu, il-Qattus and others? Where all these fictitious characters from Kotba tal-Moghdija taz-Zmien? Why wasn't there a busload of policemen to protect the Times building? How come that nobody from the nearby PS at B'Kara came to the rescue of the Fenech Adamis? How come that the thugs at the Zejtun meeting were not rounded up by the Police? Who used to use tear gas on the people after PN meetings? Who shot at and injured unarmed PN supporters in Rabat in April 1986? Who arrested the handful of people locked in the Zebbug PN club when they were beseiged by thousands of labour supporters? Who torched the PN clubs after the 1971, 1976 and 1981 elections? ctd

This was our September 11, lets us not forget.

@ D. Scerri
Yes, shame on The Times for reminding us of an event that happened. Not to you, but to it, it's employees and its building. Shame indeed for being factual and interesting. Shame on Dr Fenech Adami too. He shouldn't have persuaded those people to beat up his wife.
And let's just remember a few other incidents: Labour thug driving into a PN corner meeting in 1975, police beating PN supporters on Independence Day that year (including the deputy leader), Nardu Debono being bludgeoned to death, PN supporters being attacked at tal Barrani and the innocent Raymond Caruana being shot dead. Let's remember indeed.

As I told Kurt Sansone some days ago , the perpetrators of these reprehensible events were loose cannons, not even remotely connnected to anyone in Government. I was with Prime Minister Mintoff as he drafted a personal letter to Mabel Strickland expressing his regret at what had happened and stating that the physical destruction of his adversaries was not part of his make-up. I also remember Mintoff's uncontrollable fury at what had happened. In the twenty odd years I spent close to him I never saw him as livid as that day. One must also remember that Nationalist provocation at the time was at its peak, Desperate at not being able to unseat Mintoff at the polls Nationalists resorted to terrifying provocative acts for years on end. For the Times now to vividly remind people of erstwhile Labour aggression is no surprise. This Government is desperate again, this time desperate to divert attention from scandals and other current disasters. What better than a 30-year-old-case of arson? Is the Times not the eternal ally of the PN? I am now waiting for the Church to put its two bits in and the entire sixties/seventies scenario will have been appropriately revisited

I am sure the Editor and the staff at The Times would agree with me that what happened in 1979 was already a despicable act in itself. But to think that in 2009, you find people such as some of those writing in this commentary, who try to find a way of excusing such despicable acts, is in itself shameful, downright disgusting and terrifying!!

Why bring back the past? Why now? No wonder this country is stuck with such mentality. Whilst at it then, why INTERDETT and Karen Grech assassination is not celebrated and remembered? Well for sure there's many more if we keep on digging deeper at the past. Whoever came up with this idea is only pushing it even further the political hatred that the maltese citizens hold. The "Interdett" has done alot of damage to the maltese and they had to live with it even though their loved ones were dumped in skips and even worse. Pity what media can be up to.

WHY ARE YOU REMINDING ALL THIS TODAY WHEN THERE ARE MORE GOING ONS SUCH AS THE WAY CERTAIN POLICE ARE USEING FORCE TO BRING TO BOOK AND ALSO WHEN WE HAVE AT THE MOMENT A GOVERNMENT WHO IS WEAK TO SAY THE LEAST IN KEEPING HIS HOUSE IN ORDER THIS IS 2009 AND THOSE HORRIBLE ARE LONG AND THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS AT HAND FOR YOU TO REPORT OR DOES NOT MAKE SWEET MUSIC TO YOUR EARS THER ARE TWO SIDES TO A COIN

Labour party will always remain labour party

The ironic thing is that what the man who entered castile failed to do was achieved by those who burned down the times building because that fire proved to be Mintoff's political funeral pyre. The labour Party lost the majority and never regained it except for a short period in 1996. This is historical fact.

And those were the Mintoff years!!!! years of violence and ignorance!

That was the real time when the people cried out IS-SEWWA JIRBAH ZGUR. Shame on labour for not having the GUTTS to say sorry to the Nation. Well, Dr Muscat was 4 years old, but his right hand colleagues Anglu Farrugia (former Police Superintendent at the time, according to his website), Toni Abel (elected President of the LP in 1980, right after tje incident), Karmenu Vella (ex Minister), Joe Grima (ex Minister), Alex Sciberras trigona (ex Minister) and all the triumphants can tell him what really happened that day...Has labour really changed...???

@ Ronnie Pellegrini
The future is threatened by those persons who do not acknowledge the wrong they inflicted on us when they had power: the attacks on the independent media, the burning of The Times Building, the murder Raymond Caruana, Cardona and yes of Karen Grech, the frame up of Pietro Paolo Busuttil and Mifsud, the torture of the Vella brothers, the attacks on the University, the medical profession, the Curia, the commercial class, the church schools, etc., etc. are black pages in the history of the MLP of which they formed and still form part. Those people can come back and inflict their version of the people's paradise on them. For them a criminal like Fusellu is a hero.They may have lost their fifth column in the dockyard, but I am sure that it will not take them long to form another one. That is why it is those persons, wolves in sheep's clothing, who threaten our future.

Everyone is asking why the Times in only 'commemorating' this event..... simple....... it is remembering something that happen to IT.

Karin Grech, God rest her soul, I recall was murdered under a labour government ....... what kept the government of the day from doing its utmost to bring the murderer of one of its own minister's daughter to justice? You cannot blame the PN for that.

As for people being buried in the 'mizbla", it is the church and not the government of the day who decides whether you can be buried on consegrated ground or not . You may even be denied this right today if the church so deems. Same goes for ther Strickland and labourite supporters being denied communion and other sacraments. Archbishop Gonzi was responsible for such a decision and the consequences it brought with it. Any government in it's right mind would have taken advantage of this situation.

In reality both PN and LP have their good and bad sides with the difference that the PN ministers/personalaties involved are long gone but those of the LP are still very active in the party.

@ Mr Tim Ripard

I'm afraid the videos you requested are not available.

Unfortunately, neither do we have any footage of the butchered corpse of 15-year old Karin Grech because the leaders of the MLP declined to use if for propaganda purposes AS THE PN DID WITH THE CORPSE OF RAYMON CARUANA.

I hear that during the 1960’s there were some rather ugly political/religious clashes. The Church acted in a heavy handed way with MLP supporters. People who are hurt by those events should address them to the Church and not to PN.

The Socialist regime of the 70s and 80s believed in intimidation and let the violent elements in their fold gain the upper hand. They thought they could suppress our freedom and control our lives completely. We were expected to shut up and not exercise our rights as free people.

Nationalists were expected to allow Socialists go on the rampage every time MLP organised a meeting or demonstration. In Zebbug some Nationalists were defending their right to protect the PN Club. When the attacks on the Club started, the people trapped inside retaliated by throwing ‘balavostri’ at the attackers in order to protect their lives and property. Shock horror said MLP – Nationalists were not supposed to have the cheek to defend themselves.

Shame on the times for stirring all this mud now. We cannot forget all the incitement which was carried out during the time when Eddie Fenech Adami became leader of the opposition. Whilst all violence is deplorable let us not forget all other violent incidents including the bombs placed behind people's doors

CERTI KUMMENTI HAWN TAHT TAL-MISTHIJA!

IT-TIMES GHANDHA KULL DRITT TFAKKAR DAN L-ANNIVERSARJU META GRUPP TA' LABURISTI KISSRU THE TIMES U D-DAR TA' EDDIE.

KIENU ZMINIJIET TAL-MISTHIJA U SALLUM HADD MILL-LABOUR MA KKUNDANNA DAWK L-ATTAKKI!

MHUX TA B'XEJN TA LI L-MLP BIDEL ISMU GHAL PL ... GHANDU HAFNA X'JIPPROVA JNESSI MILL-PASSAT TIEGHU!

These acts were no doubt an abomination and they remind us of how sacred freedom of speech and democracy is nonetheless when I go to vote in 2013 or before I will do so on the merits of the present government and what of the electoral programme the PN would have actuated and how the Pn has been treating people and not on the demreits of a couple of stupid, hot-headed individuals 30 years ago!! History is there for us to learn from but it is not there to dictate who this country wants to be tomorrow!!!

I would like to put one simple question tho those who are commenting on this news item:

Who profited most from the events of 30 years ago? It certainly was not the MLP or its leaders.

Martyrs - whether voluntary or involuntary - are always extremely valuable to any cause.

Suggestion: How abut distributing this documentary with The Times on DVD?

These incidents and all other incidents that happended during that time are deplorable. Justice is still to be done with those that killed Karen Grech and Raymond Caruana.

What about those people that are suffering mentally through injustice and those who are trying to bring ends meet??

We have to learn from the past but we want to have a future. This future is threatened by Gonzipn.

All these comments remind me of Northern ireland. The biterness between the catholics and the protestants and how hatred is carried on by children of children over scores of years. What happened to the Times should be condemned by every Maltese person, whatever their political beliefs. Instead we have people asking for apologies. I think if apologies were to be made, there should be a long list of them. But from who? Who is guilty of the Times arson? Who is guilty of the Karen Grech and Raymond Camilleri murders? Who were the people who broke into Dr. Fenech Adami's house? Bring THEM to justice but do not paint me as a thug just because I have socialist or nationalist sympathies. Am I an arsonist or a murderer just because I have a different opinion? Then, the apology should be made to The Times readers who are socialist as they are not all thugs. Is half of Malta made up of thugs? I agree with that person who said we should remember our history. And we have a lot of history to remember. I suggest people read a very good book by Michael Crichton called 'A State of Fear'.

Although 30 years have passed, the Times has every right to commemorate their very own moment of truth. We should all commend those who rebuilt the Paper from scratch after this horrible episode. We should be grateful nobody lost his life during that day, both at Strickland House as well as other places which were attacked.

I presume some of the people behind these barbaric attacks are still alive. I just wonder whether they had the conscience to feel sorry for their actions, or whether they have decided to mask their past and now appear as 'clean', retired (or soon to be retired) citizens.

Not only was the Times burnt down, but also many priceless documents and photos relating to Malta's 20th century history

The fact that they never owned to what they did is nothing but cowardice. Just as those who smashed the Curia in 1984 and were too scared to own up years after.

Shame on the Times - we need to be balanced. We need to see a documentary on how the Nationalist thugs burned down the Union Press, smashed up all the MLP Kazini, beat up Mintoff's wife. WHERE IS IT??? I WANT TO SEE IT..

The Times is trying to instigate even further rift within the Maltese community. What's past is past. Joseph Muscat has apologised for what happened years ago and went a step ahead by giving hope for the future. Malta yearns for a united front and not a divided community.

Did anybody see anything? Were there any arrests? How can anybody blame the LP for this if NOBODY has proof of who did this?
Maybe the reason is that if nobody is ever accused of this, one can keep on blaming the LP forever.

@Joseph Cauchi
While condemning these acts of pure violence I suggest you call in at DOI and get Joseph Muscat's maiden speech in Parliament where he had made a formal apology he made for his party's past wrongs. If you decide to comment politically I suggest you inform yourself before.

Frank Said
are you trying to blame all laborites for these horrible events?
If not stop your political whining please and be fair...most laborites didn't even know this was happening and strongly condemn it.

I can,t understand what they want to achieve with all this do I sense to involve politics and distract the community from moor important things like the invasion we are heaving from the refuges I am not suggesting that violence is good but I was only an 8 year old and of no fault of my own because my father God bless him was with the MLP why I used to be called dirty why I was send away from the Dutrina why they never let me go for a Sunday walk with them why I used to see my poor mother God bless her crying because she was brokenhearted but never told us one evil word against anybody why the perish priest during the TBERIK he skip our house the physiological damage they done to so many kids that,s way I ask what they want to achieve to remember this day if we come to this we have a lot of days to remember and not only Mintoof done damage but many other people harmed so many I hope God forgive them.

Let the past be the past,if the times want to keep showing the past they should bring everything not what it suits them ,they should start by showing the attrocities that the Germans made and also the Italians when they bombarded our islands and now they dictate us what to do and pretented to be our friends and also show what happened in the 50`s,60`s and all those fire-arms found in the PN head-quarters and also those bombs in the 70`s. Why should we stirr the past , and as the Maltese old saying goes " Hadd ma jaghmel xejn ghall xejn " and " Tilghabx man- nar ghax tinharaq tista "

@Mark Cuschieri - get both sides of the story?
You mean those who torched down The Times and who were conveniently never caught? The Labour officials who claim they had nothing to do with it? Who?

It's incredible how people expect The Times not to mark such a significant anniversary. Maybe they should tell Sky News to avoid marking the 25th anniversary of the Brighton bombing this week? Perhaps they should tell all European media houses to avoid marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism? Maybe they should tell the GWU to stop making a fuss about its 66th anniversary?

@Joe Cassar

....and a similar one about Raymond Caruana!

@ Dusty Williams,

An apology is warranted from those responsible who have perpetrated those infamous acts and most of all from the political party, that was in government at that time led by Dom Mintoff, that has instigated these horrendous acts through the participation of its hard-core supporters.

Until then, the (M)LP will never be ABSOLVED!

JC.

The burning of The Times of Malta on the 15/10/1979 and the attack on Dr. Fenech Adami were wrong. However, it must be remembered that at the time there was an attempt on Dom Mintoff’s life.

Many things happened for which no one has been held accountable. Most serious was Karin Grech’s murder and others.

During that period both political parties did wrong. The Nationalist Party was on a continuous destructive road by encouraging boycotts etc.

It is not just this incident that this paper must bring to everyone’s attention. Since 1987 there has been many political scandals, frame up’s, abuse of public funds and assets, unwarranted presidential pardons etc. The N.P. accused Lord Strickland of being a member of a secret society and bribed a member of the public to commit perjury by confirming this.

Impartial newspapers should not focus just on this one unfortunate incident in our past.
The Nationalist Party is not whiter than white either. They have had over twenty years in power to demonstrate how black they can be.

It is important for us to remember the past so as not to repeat the same mistakes.

The only porblem is that The Times is very selective.

I dream of the day when we will have a more complete picture of our history. Only than we will become a single nation.

SHAME SHAME SHAME IS THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS OF THE MLP/LP. CREDENTIALS WHICH BOTH THE OLD AND THE NEW LABOUR PARTY TRY, IN VANE, TO CONCEAL FROM THE PUBLIC. THIS BIG SHAME WILL REMAIN WITH YOU LABOURITES, PROGRESSIVE OR WHATEVER YOU MAY CALL YOURSELVES, FOREVER AND EVER.

I don't know why Times are stirring up division between the parties again...yes they are to be condemned..but why are we showing only one side of the side...all acts of violence intimidations should be remembered..not just what fits one political party...however to be honest the part where Mrs Fenech Adami describes how she was aggresively beaten revulted my stomach with disgust as I have always seen voilence on women disgusting. But please Times of Malta be fair and show both sides so as not to seem biased.

What is most disconcerting is that judging from some of these comments there is a body of opinion that has mesmerized itself into believing that these atrocities did not occur or that they could ever be excused or justified. They are trying to re-write this horrid record, still within living memory, by denying the undeniable, by excusing the inexcusable and by justifying the unjustifiable, namely, the record of state-sponsored political violence during the Mintoff-KMB era. This “mission impossible” is further complicated by its incompatibility with that other claim that some time ago, Joseph Muscat had apologized in some ill-defined manner, for that violence somehow, somewhere - without quoting chapter and verse. Will the nation ever be provided with a credible “mea culpa” that would respect its intelligence?

According to Dom Mintoff: “I had made it a point to protect it (The Times) better than if it had been my own”. With “protectors” like those, who needs enemies?

When can we expect a documentary about the cold-blooded, deliberate assassination of Karin Grech?

Joseph Cauchi

apologija minn ghand min?

LEST WE FORGET OUR PAST.

I am surprised how some people try to deny the facts and try to find any excuse imaginable to justify their claims.

Facts are facts and nobody can change that.

This is the history of our nation.

Thirty years after this “Black Monday” the MLP has not yet recognized these awful events and has not even apologized to the Nation for these acts of TERRORISM!

No wonder, many consider these types of terrorism as state-sponsored.

Malta is still awaiting an APOLOGY.

JC.

This incident, and all the others which happened during those times are deplorable. Violence whether committed or instigated is a criminal act and should be condemned at worst and avoided at best. Politicians have a sagrosant role to play in all this, however it seems that at times the crave for power is uncontrollable. One would assume that we have learned from all this, especially politicians, who should be aware of their responsibilities towards the country and not just towards themselves or those near to them.

No one gets arrested, no one tried, no one condemned, no compensation.

No MLP/PL apology now can every make amends to the style of arrogant terrorism that reigned during those days. Amends should have been made at the time, whatever is said now to try and diminish the seriousness of those actions is nothing but cheap talk.

As someone put it, anything to distract them from the present situation ! BUT is that the only shame that occurred 30+ years ago. What about the Scandal and Grand Theft of the National Bank of Malta. Where thugs put the lives of important business men at risk, who attacked employees of the Bank, psychological torture as Mintoff went on the rampage, threatening the livelihood of these people who worked their whole lives, to see it taken away in one week. Shame on you for not mentioning this.

Perhaps another 'candidate' for Malta's National Day? . Certainly not a uniting or positive event. Why should anyone promote such things? What is the real reason behind such Black remembrances? I do not think any good can come out of such things. Neither do I think that such articles can ever bring the Maltese People together. I fail to see one positive point in this 'remembrance'. May God help this poor Nation of ours out of this situation for ever.

@ D GRima
Of course its right that we should remember these things!!!! How can we learn from the past without remembering it???
Shame on you for even suggesting this.
This happened. This is part of our history. This MUST be remembered!

Haunting memories!
My late father was editor of The Sunday Times, so Monday was his of and he wasn't in the building when it the attack happened - but rushed off to The Times as soon as he got news.
I remember that there wasn't a dry eye in the street where my parents lived when, the next day, The Times was delivered as usual. "Old Faithful" is still with us, we said. Here comes "Old Faithful".
My father took me to the Times the following Sunday and it was still smoking - thats 6 days after the terrorist attack.
It disgusts me to the core that no arrests were made. There must be so many people who know who these thugs were - and yet nobody came forward to this very day.

Some of comments below make me believe that there are still thugs around who would do it all over again if they got half the chance....

Why are some commentators practically justifying the events of Black Monday? Would they be ready to let history repeat itself in a hypothetical future characterised by repressive socialist power? To watch and laugh as the mob does it's dirty work? Or simply to look the other way? If so, there is truly no hope for this country.

On this anniversary I cannot help remembering that a number of the people who were in power at the time are key members of the LP today. A worrying fact.

GHALIEX ISSA? GHALIEX GHAMILTU DAN, U MINN META L'HAWN IDDECIDEJTU LI TIKKOMMEMORAW DIN IL GRAJJA?

ISSA QED NISTENNA LI TAGHMLU L ISTESS FL ANNIVERSARJU TAL QTIL TA KAREN GRECH, TAL-FUSELLU, TA META TEFAW IL BALAVOSTRI FUQ PARTITARJI LABURISTI F' HAZ -ZEBBUG.. U BOSTA OHRAJN HALLI NIGU PARI U?

...u xi nghidu ghall-bombi li kienu jsiru mal-bini meta il- Labour kien fil-gvern u l-ballavostri li ntefghu minn fuq il-kazin nazzjonalista ta' Haz Zebbug fuq il laburisti li kienu ghaddejjin.

It is true these issues were very wrong! However is it after 30 years making people remembering these times really right? If YES, why? In my opinion it is doing more harm than good on the general public.
We must learn from the past...NOT LIVE IT STILL!!!

30 years on and noone was ever brought to justice despite the fact that, since that time, Malta has had a PN government for 20 years.
Having said that, I think it is time that the LP accepts political and historical responsibility for these incidents. Now is the golden opportunity for the LP to give the country a lesson in what political responsibility means, a lesson this country so desperately needs since the present PN government is trying to wipe this concept from our political dictionary.
But this would not be enough. The PN had promised national reconciliation. 20 years later its more than obvious that this has not been achieved. So, let there be an official bipartisan commission set up, to investigate these crimes, not any more from the juridical side, but from the political and historical perspective. So that we can all put history were it belongs, and then move on.
This country cannot be held hostage any longer by its history just because its suits the PN.

@ Joe Cassar.
Whenever you know of anyone who has facts in hand, I suggest you take it on yourself and produce a documentary, or write a book. The police investigation at the time lead to nowhere. Surprised? I'm not. The police then were more concerned with framing innocent people rather than going for the culprits. Everybody knows that the first 48 hours after a crime are crucial for the investigation to succeed. What did the police do in these 48 hours? Next to nothing I can tell you. See? the intro is ready!
Poor Karin Grech, she died and the authorities did not even bother to go after her killer, they were more content with making her a martyr for their political gain, rather than seeing justice being done.

yes it is a disgrace how these events are being presented with the socialist movement being vilified and the nationalists presented like angels. they are so one-sided that one can only smear in disgust.

@P Debono.
I come from a nationalist family so please don't say I am going to say this because I am labour because I consider myself a floater.

While I agree with you that these are atrocious acts, we as a nation must not fall in the trap of being always afraid of the past.
This will always lead us to vote for a nationalist government and having the same government for years and years is not really beneficial to a country.

Please also remember that presently many people are suffering mental violence through injustices which is sometimes worse than physical. This can also be an effect of a government which has been in office for ages. One must also remember the context of time. I am sure today people are more well learned than in the 70's.

Honestly i don't think the labour party of today is the same as that in the 70`s. Nothing is static in this world. This will eventually be tested.

While strongly condemning any act of violence by whoever commits it, I also strongly condemn all acts of provocation which directly or indirectly incite people to commit those acts. Although I fully understand the anger and frustration of those aggravated, in my opinion It is also grossly unfair and too politically-convenient for some historians to just narrate one-half of the story. I lived those times and I know what I'm talking about.

P Debono
Let us also not forget the atrocious acts perpetrated by the PN against the MLP and Labour supporters in the 1960's.
How about certain persons who were in the forefront of alleged police brutality against PN supporters and instead of being given the order of the boot when the PN came to power they were given promotions?
Ever heard of fifth columnists?
Have a look at :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_column
http://www.answers.com/topic/fifth-column
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/206477/fifth-column

Suggestion: How abut distributing this documentary with The Times on DVD?

Lets not also forget the atrocious acts carried out by nationalist thugs, they were no angels. Furthermore wasn t 'Black Monday' (as you ve named it) started by a rather poorly executed assassination attempt on Mintoff's life?

i did not see a documentry on the violence received by labour supporters during those times and during the 60's!! people buried in the 'Mizbla'!!

anything to distract from the present situation

This is undoubdtedly a documentary highlighting a massive failure for Labour. Not only was the The Times not silenced, but it remained in print, and more importantly remained the only respected newspaper on the island, and arguably one of, if not Malta's most consistently succesful business enterprise.

Eddie Fenech Adami turned out to be Malta's most successful politician since that day, whether his opponents would like to admit it or not, and as we could all see, Mrs Fenech Adami seems none the worse for it, despite the ordeal of many years ago, God Bless her.

As for Mintoff, the final sentence in his letter to Mabel Strickland "I hope you will beleive me" was all in vain, Nobody believed him, and nobody in his right mind can believe him.

What a shame!!! We should be very PROUD

Let us not forget the atrocious acts of the Labour Party in the darkest days of Malta's independent history in the 70's and 80's.

Even though many people will try and make you forget these disgusting acts done by a vast number of imbeciles, we should keep this lesson we learnt from these mindless thugs fresh in our minds if we do not want history to repeat itself.