Thousands of people are expected to unite in a ‘national demonstration for justice’ today in Valletta in the aftermath of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.

The event, organised by the Civil Society Network, comes at the end of a week of vigils and silent protests that took place after the journalist’s assassination on Monday. It starts at City Gate, Valletta, at 4pm.

The organisers stressed this is not a partisan event, “so please do not bring offensive and partisan material. Flags, horns, whistles, instruments are welcome”.

It said flowers and candles will be laid at the memorial. “Spread the word. Be present. Be the future. Justice.”

At the end of the event, the organisers will be greeted at the Palace by President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, to whom they shall be presenting a statement reflecting their concerns and demands.

"Excellency, we believe in your moral authority and we will humbly ask you to exercise it," the statement will read.

Both the Nationalist and Labour parties will be taking part in the demonstration.

Opposition leader Adrian Delia said the PN will be in attendance “to insist that justice is done”. Besides the fact that the Prime Minister does not want to assume political responsibility, Joseph Muscat is refusing to recognise the country’s institutional crisis, Dr Delia said.

Dr Muscat will not be attending the demonstration but he supports all calls for justice and is taking any action necessary to ensure that justice is done, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister was put off from participating in the event when one of the organisers, PN councillor Michael Briguglio, called for his resignation, the spokesman continued. “In light of these comments and comments from the family of the victim, the Prime Minister feels that his presence is not wanted by the organisers”.

Dr Muscat, however, instructed the Labour Party to attend the demonstration so as to send a message of unity, the spokesperson continued. The Labour delegation will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne.

Alternattiva Demokratika will be be attending as a way of “showing solidarity to those who value freedom of expression and speech, which now are clearly under threat”.

NGO Aditus hit out at the attending political parties, insisting that they are calling for the same national unity they destroyed.

“We are astounded by the lack of serious collective mourning by all public institutions – including the Office of the President, ministers, the House of Representatives and the judiciary – in the face of such a barbaric attack on an individual, on press freedom and on civil society,” they said.

The demonstration is non-partisan, the organisers insisted, and warned attendees not to bring “offensive and partisan material”. A number of NGOs, including student organisations Studenti Demokristjani Maltin and the National Youth Council, will be present, affirming that they will not be silenced in the face of the brutal murder.

The General Workers’ Union also expressed its support for the demonstration, calling for national unity and maintaining that violence can never be justified.

The university student organisation KSU is organising buses from the university to Valletta in an attempt to encourage a larger number of students to attend. A university vigil on Wednesday night attracted an unexpectedly low turnout, with around 100 students and lecturers attending.

The organisers have expressed their disappointment with the turnout, saying that the students’ absence was evidence of apathy on a matter youths should have expressed their concerns about.

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