A symbolic 'Tree of Justice' was planted outside Upper Barrakka Gardens on Saturday afternoon with protest letters hanging as ‘fruit’ from its branches, to mark eight months since the assassination of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“The roots of evil are all we are left with,” said #OccupyJustice, a group of activists led by women, who placed the wire mesh ‘tree’ where a decades-old Holm Oak stood until earlier this month.

The protest was held just hours after pressure group Il-Kenniesa created cardboard cut outs of minister Chris Cardona and Konrad Mizzi and chief of staff Keith Schembri. 

“Our message this month is simple: Muscat, Schembri and Mizzi, why don’t you all do like the tree and leave?” said #Occupyjustice, reiterating their claim that in view of the constant stream of document evidence, the Prime Minister must go and take with him his two closest aides.

Photo: Chris Sant FournierPhoto: Chris Sant Fournier

“The Prime Minister can see this tree every day from his office window and maybe it will be a reminder that his Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and his top Minister Konrad Mizzi set up a money laundering structure in order to receive illicit kickbacks, and he is protecting them from the very place which should impede these things – Castille – because he clearly has vested interest,” #OccupyJustice said.

The group cited Mahatma Gandhi, "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed", with #OccupyJustice adding: "But one day the Prime Minister will realise that his soul does not feed on money."

The activists said that since Ms Caruana Galizia’s assassination, Malta's reputation was spiralling down the drain.

The symbolic tree was bolted to the stub of the once grand oak tree that, and activists hope their efforts to stop it from being removed will be successful.

Photo: Chris Sant FournierPhoto: Chris Sant Fournier

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