President George Abela and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi this morning laid flowers on the Freedom Monument in Vittoriosa, marking the 31st anniversary of the closure of the British military base.

Dr Abela arrived at the foot of the monument shortly before 10 a.m. and inspected an AFM Guard of Honour before walking up the monument to lay the flowers at the foot of figures representing the lowering of the Union Jack for the last time by a British sailor and its replacement by a Maltese flag hoisted by a worker.

During this morning's event some 12 activists from the Graffitti lobby group stood on benches opposite the monument holding up placards against the presence of warships in Grand Harbour. They said that the presence of such ships violated Malta's constitutional provisions on neutrality and non-alignment.

Some of the placards read: Malta komplici fil-qtil ta nies innocenti, Irridu Malta hielsa mill-militar barrani, and Malta komplici fil-gwerer.

There were no incidents.

Freedom Day events continue today with a regatta in Grand Harbour from 1.30 p.m.

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