University Students Stage Protest Against Censorship

Despite the heavy rain, at least 100 students have gathered at the quadrangle to show their discontent towards censorship at University. This was the first activity of the Front Against Censorship which was founded by Ir-Realta' Collective after issue 8 of Ir-Realta' was banned from the University's premises. Other acts of censorship at the radio station of the University of Malta, Campus FM, take place frequently. Two monstrous figures representing ''hypocritical institutions'' burned issue 8 of I-Realta' as a symbolic protest. Franco Rizzo gave a short speech and introduced the activity by saying that censoring work of art, would destroy the potentiality of constructive debate. Then literary extracts which can be considered obscene were read out including from D.H Lawrence's Lady Catterly's Lover and Il-Manifest tal-Killer by Karl Schembri. The protest ended by a short speech by editor of Ir-Realta', Mark Camilleri who said that it is natural that criticism can offend others and one should not be taken away this fundamental right. He also said that the Rector is lying when he states that he had the right to uphold the law at the University of Malta by ordering his servants to throw away the newspapers because such an authoritarian act can only be lawfully done by the Police of Malta on orders of their superiors.