Sette Giugno monument to move to Hastings Garden
The Sette Giugno monument is to be temporarily placed at Hastings Garden in Valletta until it is incorporated in the new Parliament building project, the government announced today.
It said that maintenance work on the monument was carried out in the past few weeks while site preparation at Hastings starts tomorrow.
The work will be completed by June 7, when the events of June 7, 1919 are recalled.
The monument was removed from Palace square when that square was rehabilitated.
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Raymond Sammut
May 14th 2010, 02:23
@ H.G. Xerri --"Some say 4 now you are saying one died from shot wounds."
Where did I say that "one died from shot wounds"?
This is what I said below:
Quote:"Three, and not four, were mortally wounded on the 7th of Jun-1919.":Unquote, and
Quote:"...only three and not four were wounded and died on the 7th."
My only error is when I wrote "Progress Press building in Old Theatre Street". To be precise, it should have read: "Chronicle building in Old Theatre Street".
I say "wounded" because nowhere is suggested that people were shot at either by the police or by soldiers. No orders to shoot at people were ever given. A bystander died from wounds inflicted by stray shrapnel. Two died from bullet wounds after soldiers fired not under orders above the large crowd approaching them. The fourth was wounded with a bayonet on the 8th while resisting arrest, and died later in hospital on the 16th.
My source is available online: "The police in the 1919 riots and their aftermath" by Eddie Attard, The Sunday Times–June 6, 1999. I was referred to it by another commentor here on The Times.
Anthony Mizzi
May 13th 2010, 07:38
The importance of this majestic monument and what it commemorates is being belittled. Being transformed into a monument-on-wheels and placed in Hastings garden, even if temporally, is like putting a piece of history in the back yard instead of the prominent square for where originally planned.
Being replaced by water sprouts is shameful and can only happen in Malta under a Gonzipn administration.
Raymond Sammut
May 13th 2010, 12:45
It's not an issue of whether it is "majestic" or not. Different people will always see it in different ways. What is at issue about this thing is the distortion of history that it conveys. I have pointed out this distortion in detail a number of times on The Times. Enough to say here that, contrary to what it shows, only three and not four were wounded and died on the 7th. None of them were shot at directly. No orders to shoot were ever given. Each of the three tragedies was circumstantial. The British were being slack in allowing enough flour to reach Grand Harbour, while more and more people were supporting Mussolini in Italy following WWI.
Only recently, similar riots in Greece and Thailand, for example, resulted in people losing their life. But Maltese politicians think that in Malta riots are different, and require monuments.
The Maltese people are in the habit of erecting meaningless monuments. It is always easy to distort history, or to magnify it, or to diminish its importance, for political reasons. That's what the MLP in government did in 1986.
C.Cassar
May 13th 2010, 00:09
The horror is Piano's project, no more and no less, the only state of affair in the play that have no horror, is the money he will take or had already took for nothing. good night and can pls the last person leaving the disastrous state of facts, switch of the lights, IF THERE IS ANY !!!
Jamie Tanti
May 12th 2010, 21:12
get real George Sammut ... how old are you as you are repeating the rubbish they used to teach in the 1970s. A mob ran through Valletta looting and causing destruction. Troops fired on the crowd when things got out of hand. Some of the rabble were killed. If they hadn't been stopped the violence would have grown. Sette Guigno is a joke and the monument is horrendous. Glofiying the mob ... smacks of a slightly dated socalism. Malta 2010 should commemorate far greater men and women
albert zammit
May 12th 2010, 20:38
Are you serious Mr. Gatt?
Do you want to get rid of this monument or keep it in an exclusive place.
If it's the former I'm afraid that you're bonkers...
C Gatt
May 12th 2010, 20:22
What a shame. I thought we had finally got rid of that hideous monument. A perfect example of the awful tastes politicians have when left to their own devises. What Piano will think of this horror being places somewhere near his minimalist design, God only knows!
D. Spiteri
May 12th 2010, 20:46
Naqbel miegħek li l-monument ikrah pesti....imma ma naqbel miegħek xejn meta tgħid li ma għandiex nagħmluh f'post prominenti.
Dan il- monument iservi biex ifakkarna it- tbatija tal- Maltin taħt it- tiranni barranin.
Adrian Cachia
May 12th 2010, 21:21
What is so hideous about the monument? Do you know what it commemorates after all? I am glad Renzo Piano knows better.
Justin Tabone
May 12th 2010, 23:54
Are you kidding Mr Gatt.? You'r a perfect example of a parson without a historical background and without pride for your nation.
lgalea
May 12th 2010, 23:59
C Gatt The Shame is on YOU for denigrating a monument that commemorates an uprising of Maltese people against their colonizers. SHAME AND SHAME AGAIN ON YOU. As for the Piano destruction project, it is just that. A destruction project that is going to rape our capital city and will cause shame to the PN as the present city gate is doing to the 1960's PN Government.
Steve Borg
May 13th 2010, 01:04
Ma tantx tidher qed tgħaffsek qalbek għal dawk li ċarċru demmhom u tilfu ħajjethom biex Malta tieħu sens ta' tmexxija politika. Imma hekk ried dan il-Gvern - ineħħih minn misraħ ewlieni u jidfnu ġo ġnien imwarrab. Pajjiż tal-biki.
C.ZARB
May 13th 2010, 08:20
Who cares what Piano thinks? Since when Piano has exclusive rights on our city?
Derek Fenech
May 13th 2010, 08:23
I would suggest you refrain from showing your disrespect and utter ignorance towards Maltese history apart from the fact that you are talking about one of Malta's most respected sculptors. If according to your "artistic vision" (?) the Agius (teaching you something) does not fit the minimalist Piano design well the same could be said about the Piano design not fitting Laparelli/Cassar architectural design.
George Farrugia Snr.
May 12th 2010, 19:41
In my opinion i think we should send the Bill to the British government, Let them them pay for the damages they done to our people in 1919. One think for certain it will always be in our History when they shot 4 of our citizens on the 7th of June 1919.
George Farrugia * Malta
Raymond Sammut
May 13th 2010, 04:01
@ George Farrugia Snr.--"...it will always be in our History when they shot 4 of our citizens on the 7th of June 1919."
You are wrong, Mr Farrugia. It will always be so only in your head. Three, and not four, were mortally wounded on the 7th of Jun-1919. They were not shot at. One was hit by shrapnel. He was a by-stander while the mob was wrecking the Progress Press building in Old Theatre Street. The other two were hit by bullets not fired under orders and not fired directly at the mob which was advancing and threatening the lone line of soldiers in Old Bakery Street. One of the two was way back, corner Bakery/Theatre Streets. The fourth was wounded on the 8th with a bayonet while resisting arrest and trying to fetch his son among the mob wrecking a private house in Republic Street. He died on the 16th in hospital.
This thing was erected by Labour to distract people's attention from the Mintoffian mob behavior that had started way back in 1976. Gonzi should show a bit of resolve. He should have it cut up, and off with the bits to the meltdown centre.
H.G. Xerri
May 13th 2010, 19:32
With due respect Raymond Sammut i too read i believe last year they there were 4 persons shot and not one, i can't swear to it, but i keep reading different versions on this subject of Sette Giugno, now who is right and who is wrong, can anyone set the records straight as to what is the correct history version to this on that balck day in our History by the British rulers in Malta of that time. Some say 4 now you are saying one died from shot wounds.