Commotion outside Libyan Embassy

A group of Libyan protesters and the police were involved in a brief verbal confrontation outside the Libya Embassy in Balzan yesterday afternoon.

The trouble broke out after the men held their Friday prayers in the street. One of them said they were asked to cross to the other side of the road, which is an unbuilt area. They contested the order, claiming it violated their democratic rights.

“The police are under orders from the Libyan Embassy,” one of the protesters shouted at a timesofmalta.com cameraman filming the event.

Policemen on the scene said the decision was taken because of roadworks on the Valletta-bound lane adjacent to the embassy. It was felt it would be “better” if the protesters went to the other side of the road.

The group of 30 or so eventually dispersed and both sides said there had been no violence.

When the Libyan uprising was still in its early stages, the area outside the Balzan building used to be teeming with protesters and police officers but recent days saw the number of demonstrations dwindle.

According to Khalid Bhara, one of the protesters, they have resumed the protests because they feel the Maltese government is still trying to be in Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s good books. They expect the Maltese government to stop acknowledging the Libyan Embassy as being legitimate.

“We want the Maltese government to recognise the Transitional National Council as other European countries have done,” Mr Bhara said, adding the Maltese government was still on Col Gaddafi’s side.

The only country in the EU that has recognised the transitional government is France.

When asked what he thought of Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s refusal the previous day to mediate between the Gaddafi regime and the opposition, the protester said that was not enough.