Some 100 people, most of them in black, this morning mourned ‘the death of art and freedom of expression’ as they marched down Republic Street and up Merchant’s Street in Valletta in protest at the country’s censorship laws.

The protestors carried a coffin which said ‘art is dead’ and stopped in front of the Cultural Secretariat in Merchants Street.

Ingram Bondin, from the Front Against Censorship, said that while last year there were at least six attempted cases of censorship, in the first seven months of this year there were at least eight.

This meant that the censorship phenomenon was on the rise, and that concrete action had to be taken immediately to avoid artists being criminalised and potentially sent to jail just because their art might be unpalatable to certain individuals.

The demonstration was also against the revision in the law which instead of decriminalising art which might have so called pornographic content for adult viewers, actively marginalised and persecuted it with harsher fines and jail terms.

He called for a more open and tolerant society and for the end of an inquisition style approach to art by the authorities.

There were no members of Parliament taking part in the protest although Forum Zghazagh Laburisti took part.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio represented his party and said htat AD was the only party that was clear and consistent in its position for the modernisation of censorship laws.

Although the PN was consistent in its position, it was ultra-conservative way and Labour tried to give the impression of being a progressive and modern party but this was the biggest electoral gimmick.

Satirical newspaper Realta editor Mark Camilleri accused the PL of changing its tune, first agreeing with all the Front’s proposals except for one on the vilification of religion but then voting with the government in Parliament when it came to the approval of harsher pornography legislation.

He noted, that although the draft cultural policy was a positive step forward, the country could not wait years for changes when people were still being taken to court and penalties were being made harsher.