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Monument to PM's grandfather vandalised

Unknown people have vandalised the monument to Mro Lorenzo Gonzi, the prime minister's grandfather, in Kalkara.

Eyewitnesses said the stone and bronze monument was pushed off its pedestal.

The monument is in Holy Family Square, opposite Holy Family Band Club, of which he was founding bandmaster in 1914. It was erected in 1995.

The police are investigating.

The Holy Family Philharmonic Society and Kalkara council condemned the incident.

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Jonathan Cini

Oct 9th 2010, 15:58

Mario, God forbid you're trying to link the incident with the rivalry, which according to you, is in existence in our locality. I want to remind you that vandalism knows no frontiers here in Kalkara. Even our band club suffers from damages made by unknown parties sometimes. But I'm of the opinion that these acts committed by vandals were not instigated by the rivalry you're trying to depict. My affiction goes to the St. Joseph Band Club, nonetheless I'm eagerly waiting for justice to be done with such immoral people as much as the other club's fans are waiting for.

I have the pleasure to inform you that we, as Kalkarizi, ALWAYS UNITE under such or similar circumstances.

N.Farrugia

Oct 8th 2010, 15:51

Simply ask those hereunder who are justifying this barbaric act.

Frans Sammut

Oct 8th 2010, 16:59

Nobody is justifying these acts. Whoever did would be ... crazy? On the other hand, if the authorities want to tackle the problem which is becoming endemic, they should look around them, sift out the grievances many people are suffering and address them seriously and carefully, things might improve for all and sundry, including those who currently prefer to bury their heads in the sand. Such acts, described by everybody, including the undersigned, as despicable, are sure signs of a growing despondency and a soaring disgruntlement that have no precedence in living memory. My sympathy goes to the Gonzi family some of whom I know personally. Not so to the Government (or, rather the occult elements behind it) that is exhibiting such a terrible degree of arrogance and indifference towards a sizable portion of the population, that one cannot really be surprised by the increase of these acts, of which, I repeat until all the dolts writing hereunder may understand, no-one approves.

Frans Sammut

Oct 9th 2010, 09:46

I will refrain from answering you any further. I will only quote the latest report on the mental state of the nation carried in this newspaper: "Ten per cent of the Maltese population, about 41,000 people, were on anti-depressants over the past year, according to a Eurobarometer report still to be published.The figure was quoted by Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea, who told a mental health conference the EU average was seven per cent." I reckon that should be sufficient food for thought for those who can still think objectively and dispassionately. Thank you.

John Grima

Oct 8th 2010, 11:55

Insejt xi haga mario scerri.... Insjet tghid li l-PL ha jaghmel kollox b'xejn u li ha jsolvu l-problemi kollha u daqsekk ha mmoru xoghol iktar, bil-flus li ha jtina...... DDAHAKXXX

m. borg (slm)

Oct 8th 2010, 12:53

@john grima
Fejn xi darba il-PL wieghed l-ilma jizfen kif ghamel gonzi qabel l-ahhar elezzjoni, ghati prova jekk ghandek.

mario scerri

Oct 8th 2010, 13:08

Sur Grima l-partit laburista qatt ma wieghed il-genna ta l-art jew wieghed xi haga li jaf li ma
tkunx tista titwettaq

john grima

Oct 8th 2010, 13:13

u mela ma wieghedx fin-1998 u waqa ghac-cajt...intom li tridu taraw... kemm hu facli iktar tmaqdar milli ssib soluzzjoni...

john grima

Oct 8th 2010, 13:18

@mario scerri.....

iiii mela mhux ek nibqghu.... u int fejn taf x'wieghed il-partit laburista... ghandekx xi 30 sena ukoll li insejt meta telgha l-ahhar il-partit laburista ahseb u ara kemm ha tghidli x'wieghed il-partit laburista... sewwa nghid jien... nixtieq inkun naf kif ha tibdew titkellmu intom meta forsi xi darba jitla l-labour fil-gvern.. ax kif titkellmu intom iskom ha nkunu fil-genna ta l-art meta jitla...

mario scerri

Oct 8th 2010, 14:55

sur grima 40 sena ghandi bejn l-1996 u 1998 niftakru sew u certi affarjiet ma qbiltx maghhom. lmma dak passat illum hemm leader gdid w irridu nharsu l-quddiem.

johngrima

Oct 8th 2010, 16:00

@ Mario Scerri....

Issa ghandkom leader gdid... fin-1996 ghedtu ukoll li ghandkom partit gdid u ergajtu l-istess... mela tahseb li n-nies qed jilghabu jew.. x'jiswa li jkollok leader gdid u n-nies ta warajk li jghidulek xi trid taghmel huma l-istess??!!

Jonathan Cini

Oct 8th 2010, 09:44

A society is deemed to have a musical function ONLY IF the mission statement of its statute states that in black on white. The St. Joseph Band, to let you remember again, the first ever band club in Kalkara, was founded in 1987. The Circolo San Giuseppe (better known as "Il-Kazin tax-Xjuh") was founded 90 years earlier, but it took almost 9 full decades for its members to set up the second band in Kalkara.
By the way, if I am intelligent it doesn't mean I'm a professional! God gave me a brain and I use one of its features: common sense.

martin saliba

Oct 7th 2010, 21:05

Prosit Melvin. Anki li kieku sar b'kop politiku zgur li minn xi hadd bla mohh u li mu ijkad jiraprezenta lebda partit. Niftakru kemm il darba zebilhu il bust ta Karen Grech , da zgur ukoll sar minn nies injuranti u ma ghandu jehel ebda partit,

Jennifer Cosaitis

Oct 7th 2010, 22:23

First the PM's mother grave and then his grandfather's monument. Why would anyone in his right mind suspect a political vendetta behind all this?

Oh, I hope you can detect sarcasm when it is staring at you in the face Mr Calleja

Melvin Calleja

Oct 8th 2010, 09:18

@jennifer cosaitis...jien ma' nafx min fejn int, izda jien li ilni nghix il-Kalkara ghal 24 sena u naghmel parti mill-istess Socjeta' li tieghu hi propjeta il-monument, rigward il-qabar ta' omm il-PM mhux se nidhol fiha, izda fuq il-monument tan-nannun tal-PM zgur li mhux bi skop politiku. Ftit tal-jiem ilu fl-istess pjazza tkissru xi fanali...allura xi partitarju tal PN jew tal PL b' daqshekk. FIl-gimgha l-ohra bandiera tal-kunsill lokali tal-Kalkara tnizzlet u minflok itellgha barmil...allura xi partitarju tal-PN ghamel hekk fil-konfront tal-Kunsill ghax b' maggoranza Laburista??? Ftit ilu vicin il-Kunsill Lokali parapett ta' dar gie vvandalizzat..min ghamlu??? Ftit ilu qsari tal-istess Kunsill ukoll gew ivandalizzat...min???

Li hu zgur li f' dan il-pajjiz hawn brain wash kbira fuq il-politka b' hekk ma' nimxux. F' kull haga irridu ndahhlu l-politka. NB...inbilli il-Kazin Sagra Familja jgorr il-kulur blu u inbilli ghandu l-monument ta' Mro.Gonzi, mhu assocjat mal-ebda' partit politiku, membri hemm kemm mal-PN u mal-PL.

Grazzi

George Scicluna

Oct 7th 2010, 18:54

Il 2013 mhux il boghod... Imbad l ezistenza tal MLP ikun biss passat ikrah.

T Camilleri

Oct 7th 2010, 22:21

sweet dreams dear George Scicluna, sweet dreams

m. borg (slm)

Oct 8th 2010, 12:50

Kumment vojt jekk ghandek xi tgharif ghadih lil pulizija.
Bl'istess ragunament ikolli nghid li din il-haga qed tigri ta' spiss meta l-gvern ikun taht attack fuq l-operat tieghu, biss nippreferi nemmen li kien xi att vandalu flokk nippunta subghajja
Ghal darb'ohra ma nqabbad hadd.

A. Vassallo

Oct 7th 2010, 16:34

Kif domtu aktar minn hames sieghat biex hrigtu stqarrija ta' 58 kelma biex tikkundannaw dan l-att kodard u vili?

IMMA AHJAR TARD MILL QATT

Kenneth Williams

Oct 7th 2010, 17:25

Sur Vassallo mela ma qrajtux l artiklu hawn fuq li l kunsill u l ghaqda tal banda kundannat l att vandalu......Jew int xi wiehed li taqra li trid u tikteb li trid basta thammeg The Holy Family Philharmonic Society and Kalkara council condemned the incident.

R Saliba

Oct 7th 2010, 16:33

No, But i can surely read stupid conspiracy theories

Peter Bonnici

Oct 7th 2010, 18:21

So which episode in our history does the Luqa monument represent?

m. borg (slm)

Oct 8th 2010, 12:54

The present history ....... can't you feel it.?

w caruana

Oct 7th 2010, 16:18

Xghandu xjaqsam il partit laburista ma xi 4 boloh li kissru monument tan nannu tal priministru. Flokk tiehu l-opportunita biex tikkundana dan l-agir meskien iddeffes lil l-partit laburista... ikber jahasra hammalli u injuranti hemm fuq iz -zewg nahat. Tkunx wiehed minnhom!

gcForte

Oct 7th 2010, 12:56

@ mary lee cauchi.........I agree with you, and I will add that I beleive that who did this, did not even bother who the bust belongs to. While I show solidarity with the Gonzi family, I will say that, it is only the monument that has been hit, I am sure that the memory of Mro Lorenzo Gonzi is still strong and full of respect, and that is what it count.

J. Camilleri

Oct 7th 2010, 15:46

Is this the second or third time that a Gonzi monument has been vandalised? Once is an ocurrance, twice is a coincidence which requires looking into, three is a certainty. I honestly believe that this is not a pure case of vandalism, but there's a sick and hopefully lonely mind behind it all.

R.Gatt

Oct 8th 2010, 10:38

No it's not a new kind of hatred, it's an old hatred that's lifting it's head up once again it seems. Think long and well before voting. Once bitten.....................!!!

Andrew Farrugia

Oct 7th 2010, 13:24

Now haven't i heard this kind of pseudo-analytical waffle before? Ah yes, i remember now. It sounds very much like trying to justify terrorist atrocities by suggesting that their murderous actions are driven by certain grievances. It appears that some people cannot simply condemn reprehensible acts without positing certain caveats, which may include feeble psycho-analytical attempts to account for manifestations of particular aspects of human perversion.

Luke Rocco

Oct 7th 2010, 13:37

I wholeheartedly agree with what you have written. Thanks.

J Farrugia

Oct 7th 2010, 14:27

tippruvax tiggustifika l-ingustifikabbli. l-ebda skuza mhi tajba biex tkisser u taghmel vandalizmu kriminali. min wettaq dan l-att viljakk mhu xejn hlief kodard b'mentalita' vendikattiva u ta' kriminal inkallat. Min jipprova jiggustifika att kodard bhal dan huwa hu innifsu kriminal u kodard u komplici mal-kriminali.

Etienne Camilleri

Oct 7th 2010, 13:09

Mr Cini, get your facts right! There are old papers and documents in the Circolo San Giuseppe Filarmonica Sagra Familja band club that proves the first band club in Kalkara was founded by the big man Mro Lorenzo Gonzi. on the contrary St. Joseph Band closed down several times and reopened its doors much more later than Sagra Familja band club.

Anna Farrugia

Oct 7th 2010, 14:17

Mr Cini I wish to quote you, if I may please, "What he did is just conducted..." very poor choice of words and extremely condescending..."just conducted", wow...Mr Cini I am sure that the deceased gentleman was worthy of the title of Mastro, who 'conducted' not "just conducted". I wonder what a professional you are! I am not saying you are not, but I 'just' wonder! Have a good day Mr Cini!

Jonathan Cini

Oct 8th 2010, 08:39

@Mr. Camilleri:
I stand by what I said.

m.ellul

Oct 7th 2010, 13:17

seems that you have a very short memory and don't you know that what goes around comes around. I am commenting as an observer of the happenings in general. I should also add this as well - who is without guilt throw the first stone.

J Cini

Oct 7th 2010, 13:39

Insewa l-ipotezi ta mibgheda politika, dan kien xi hadd immatur u injorant u li kien jaf li l-monument mhux daqsekk b sahhtu!! Att T>O>M stop glorifying Gonzi ... this action although condemnable is not politically motivated for sure!!!!

R Axisa

Oct 7th 2010, 13:41

Int bis-serjeta'? Kampanja ta' mibgheda lejn Gonzi? Ma nistax nifhem kif meta jsiru affarijiet bhal dawn tikkonkludu li bilfors saret xi vendetta politika minn xi hadd tal-partit l-iehor. Bizzejjed infakrek x'kien gara meta Mario Galea sab il-karozza tieghu mibruxa u l-media ghamlu festa biha ghax la sar hekk, mela bilfors kien xi hadd laburist. M'hemmx ghalfejn nghid aktar ghax kulhadd jaf x'gara u min kien li holoq kollox! Mela allura hadd ma jista' jghid xejn u jghodd il-flieles qabel ifaqqsu, ghax jekk ma tinstabx il-persuna u jkun hemm il-provi, ma tistax tikkonkludi li min ghamel l-att vandalu, ghamel hekk bi skopijiet politici. U wara kollox zgur li m'ghandux jehel il-partit laburista. Certu kummenti veru bla hsieb u bla sens!

V Caruana

Oct 7th 2010, 17:55

Kieku kellek tagħmel mill-laburisti x'tagħmel? tħobb lill għajrek bħalek innifsek?

Duncan Brincat, Secretary

Oct 7th 2010, 13:12

Dear Mr. Borg,
Kindly note that the monument was erected to honour Mro. Lorenzo Gonzi since he was from Kalkara, served as band master as well as President of our Society, and largely contributed towards our locality especially through music for our Parish Church. Mro. Gonzi was also band master and maestro di cappella of various localities and it was felt our duty to honour him with a monument in the middle of our square for the benefit of the whole community.

Duncan Brincat, Secretary

Oct 7th 2010, 15:45

Dear Mr. Borg,
Kindly note that the reason the monument was erected by our Society was that Mro. Lorenzo Gonzi, apart from hailing from Kalkara, was not only our band club's musical director, but was maestro di cappella of our Parish Church, as well as serving as musical director and maestro di cappella of other band clubs and churches around Malta. Mro. Gonzi's monument was placed in this square due to his frutiful love and work towards his and our locality: Kalkara.

C camenzuli

Oct 7th 2010, 11:51

are you serious?

T Cuschieri

Oct 7th 2010, 11:54

Who insulted who?

Apart from that, why is everyone saying it's related to politics. For all we know it could just be a dare amongst youngsters. Bottom line is that it's wrong and I hope the perpetrators are caught.

This is the problem in Malta and that's why development is so slow in this country (in some aspects) - every discussion is based on political belief rather than the benefit that the nation/population will get from it. Grow up people!

pmifsud

Oct 7th 2010, 11:55

igifieri inti qed tghid, ghax jghid kont iddeskriminat u msawwat fi zmien il-labour ghandi immu u nsib l-oqbra jew il munumenti tal familjari taghhom u nivvandalizzhom. int bis-serjeta jew?????????

Antoine Spiteri

Oct 7th 2010, 11:59

you are Justifying it.... in other words... dont hide bewteen the lines

Anthony Farrugia

Oct 7th 2010, 12:02

Far from it, your reply is a pitiable justification of what happened and not a pseudo analysis !

A Tagliaferro

Oct 7th 2010, 12:04

your analysis is completely wrong......if it were right, the whole world becomes anarchist !

Start learning something from this episode ....... the action reflects badly on who makes the action and not on who receives it !

Joseph Sciberras

Oct 7th 2010, 12:11

By your inane comment you are condoning this mindless vindictive action anyway.

N. Pace

Oct 7th 2010, 12:13

you are condemning it but at the same time justifying it!

if these people have issues they should tackle them directly with the person they have issues with not with a statue

goes to show what cowards they are

Mark Galea

Oct 7th 2010, 12:13

ahseb u ara x'se jigri mill-monumenti li ser jaghamlu lis-suldati ta' l-azzar.

Charles Zammit

Oct 7th 2010, 12:14

Amaizing how labour supporters try to justify this act of vandalism.

I vividly remember similar "old labour" justify tal-barrani, tar-rabat incidents, the shooting at Hal Tarxien u l-isparar f'tieg iz-zejtun. The "New Labour" is no different to the "Old Labour".

In a few minutes time I suspect the editor will upload a stqarrija ta' kundanna from labour party. A press release is free of charge!

conrad vella

Oct 7th 2010, 12:18

Psikjatra kont gej!!!!

Just the same excuses labour govts of the 80's used to use. Some people never change and given the opportunity.............today a bust .....tomorrow???????

Paul Borg

Oct 7th 2010, 12:20

yes you are justifying!

D Schembri

Oct 7th 2010, 12:20

Your comment made me SICK. Enough said.

ivan camilleri

Oct 7th 2010, 12:32

Missek tisthi C.Camilleri......kieku kulhadd irraguna bhalel fis snin 80, kieku Malta sparixxiet mill-mappa ghax farrkuha!!!!!!!

Maria D.Sacco

Oct 7th 2010, 12:36

You left me speechless! Poor you!

Joseph Carmel Chetcuti

Oct 7th 2010, 12:37

Putting aside one's views of the PM's policies, I see no reason why people should vandalise a monument dedicated to his grandfather. With respect, I think your analysis is hollow and inadvertently justifies what has occurred. Perhaps and only perhaps this action may provide further proof of how some Maltese are marginalised. It also shows an absence of civic pride. You do not have to go far in Malta to find evidence of this ... notwithstanding the fact that Malta could well be a jewel in the Mediterranean.

Mary Ann Borg

Oct 7th 2010, 13:01

To C. Camilleri: 'Arrogant and continually insults the people'? you say.? So what should happen to your ol' Dom and his party who 'arrogantly' stayed in power in '81 even though the people voted him out and hurled 'insults' to so many people, including your beloved drydocks people whom he called ball-less, called our armed forces a bunch of 'boy-scouts' and sent out a group of nuns (Blue Sisters) in the middle of the night.
You say you condemn such cowardly act as vandalising YOUR PM's grandad, but I guess after so much negativity on Labour's media one can almost expect such vandalistic acts. Very much like your 'erba rashom shuna' that attacked The Times, the Curia and Eddie's home, amongst many other violent actions. In the meantime we all wait impatiently for Smiley Joseph's magic wand to get us out of this hell we are all in, right?

M Mifsud

Oct 7th 2010, 13:44

Shame on you! Allura naghmlu bhas-slavag u noqghodu nkissru l-oggetti gheziez ta' xulxin! Sakemm m'intix tahseb li dak li ma jghogbokx BISS u arroganti!

R.Gatt

Oct 8th 2010, 08:42

Yes you are justifying it. You don't even understand what you're writing.

Stevie Borg

Oct 7th 2010, 11:36

Ah, a conspiracy theorist!

maxine pace

Oct 7th 2010, 11:42

Hasn't this man been through enough this year.. Why doesnt everyone let everyone else live in peace?? Its because of vandals like this the whole world is going mad and going to extremes...just let the man live

Eve Bajada

Oct 7th 2010, 11:51

I am sorry but i think whoever did this has to be sick .. Why will people not allow the dead to RIP ....
Not to much to ask is it ...

Joe E Galea

Oct 8th 2010, 08:33

I agree with Joe Cassar. The PN media will make a tragedy out of (I condemn the act in full), but I think there are far more serious problems afflicting this country.

R.Gatt

Oct 8th 2010, 08:40

No, you are!

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