The battle over the memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia continued Saturday afternoon as a single bloom stood in defiance of the repeated clearance of activists’ candles and flowers.

The tributes to the slain journalist placed in front of the hoarding at the Great Siege monument in Valletta had been taken away earlier in the day.

Activists estimate that the memorial, which also represents their demand for justice after the murder, has been removed over 20 times so far, often by government workers acting under the instructions of the Justice Ministry.

The activists from Occupy Justice and other groups had defied the government by unfurling a new banner across the hoarding last Tuesday, during a vigil marking the first anniversary of Ms Caruana Galizia’s killing.

Do not dare remove this memorial

Do not dare remove this memorial,” they said to loud applause.

Watch: Daphne memorial tussle goes on as banner is removed and then put back up

The banner and makeshift memorial were still there on Wednesday and Thursday but there was no sign of either by Friday morning. 

More flowers and a portrait of the journalist were put in place on Friday evening but by Saturday morning everything had been cleared. In their place, a sticker with the words “of democracy” was placed on the hoarding after the words “Great Siege monument”.

During the anniversary mass, Fr David Cilia said the “innocuous flowers” had become a sign of irritation to those who did not want to know who murdered the journalist.

The hoarding, which has been covering the Great Siege memorial for over a month, was put in place for restoration works to take place, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici had said.

The memorial has been opposed by several government officials. Earlier this year, Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield suggested it should be placed “out of sight and mind”.

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