Tens of Maltese flags fluttered in the light breeze as the Armed Forces of Malta's Guard of Honour, rifles and bayonets standing out, marched towards Vittoriosa's Freedom Monument.

Freedom Day's traditional wreath-laying ceremony got under way yesterday morning to the sound of a joyous tune played by the AFM's big band as the sun shone and people lined the streets.

The ceremony marks the 31st anniversary of the withdrawal of British forces from Malta.

As the national anthem played out and the soldiers stood in formation, President George Abela and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi arrived to inspect the Guard of Honour and lay their respective wreaths on the Freedom Monument.

Protestors from Moviment Graffitti also kept their annual appointment with the event, standing by the quayside waving placards displaying images of horribly disfigured and dismembered children. Others included messages which read "Malta is an accomplice in war" and "Malta is an accomplice in the murder of innocent people".

Last year, Graffitti disrupted proceedings by jumping over barricades and attempting to lie down in the area where the Guard of Honour and officials stand. There was no repeat incident this year.

Graffitti were protesting against neutral Malta allowing warships from European powers and the US to berth in local ports. They claimed that by doing so, Malta was acting as an accomplice.