Nationalist MPs Charlo’ Bonnici and Beppe Fenech Adami yesterday took part in an anti-Gaddafi demonstration held in Valletta in solidarity with the Libyans fighting for democracy.

Although it attracted just 200 people, an almost equal number of Maltese and Libyans were present for the march along Republic Street – something that was not seen at the demonstrations held outside the Libyan embassy last week. A number of Libyans expressed their gratitude for the show of support.

However, there were no representatives from the Labour Party or from Alternattiva Demokratika, which happened to be holding its annual general meeting at the same time and therefore could not attend.

When asked about its absence, a PL spokesman said: “Labour remains committed to working with the government in the national interest on this issue. Presence at manifestations is of secondary importance.”

However, a number of local organisations joined the demonstration, including youth organisations Get Up Stand Up and Moviment Graffitti, which caused a stir at the beginning of the protest when it distributed posters, showing Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi embracing Muammar Gaddafi, during a recent meeting in Tripoli under the title “shame”.

This annoyed a number of Nationalists who had gathered to protest. They even threatened to pull out of the march if the placards were used, arguing that it was unfair to paint Dr Gonzi as a supporter of Mr Gaddafi and ignore the good relationships all prime ministers had had with the Libyan leader in the past.

Although a number of Libyan protesters happily did away with these posters, some members of Moviment Graffitti insisted on holding them up, saying they were free to express their opinion.

However, they also stressed that Labour leader Joseph Muscat had also embraced Mr Gaddafi only some months ago.

“Like this photo there are others of Joseph Muscat, but I did not have any,” one of the members of Moviment Graffitti shouted out to passers-by who asked the police to intervene.

Among those who joined the protest and complained about these posters were journalists Lou Bondi and Daphne Caruana Galizia, who argued that Dr Gonzi’s image was politicising the issue unnecessarily and would discourage some people from participating.

But after the disagreement the march kicked off peacefully, and the crowd chanted in unison for the violence in Libya to stop and for Mr Gaddafi’s removal.

Although some policemen were seen telling passers-by that Moviment Graffitti had every right to hold up the posters, at one point other police officers were seen taking the particulars of members of the protest group.