Black Monday (Malta)

October 15, 1979, is referred to as Black Monday in Malta. The offices and printing rooms of Progress Press, publisher of The Times of Malta, were ransacked and set on fire during a spontaneous political rally by Labour Party supporters following allegations of a failed attempt on Prime Minister Dom Mintoff's life in his offices at the Auberge de Castille, Valletta. The allegations have never been proven, and are generally believed to be unfounded.

Black Monday events

That evening a large crowd gathered outside the Prime Minister's office in an expression of solidarity, and from there marched toward the Progress Press offices on St. Paul Street, Valletta. Many historical archives were burnt during the fire. Although the printing press was destroyed, The Times of Malta was still published as usual the following day (though in a reduced format) from the printing press of the Nationalist Party. The newspaper holds the record of never having missed an issue from its founding day. [ [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2004/02/08/orlando.html Article from Malta Today about Black Monday ] ]

Also on this day, believing that their political rivals, the Nationalist Party, had some responsibility for the alleged attempt on the prime minister's life, Malta Labour Party supporters invaded the private residence of Dr. Edward Fenech Adami, leader of the Nationalist Party, ransacking his home and assaulting his wife, Mary, his five children and his elderly mother.

In both incidents the police failed to intervene. [ [http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2004/01/04/top_news.html Article from Malta Today about Dr Edward Fenech Adami ] ]

The Malta Labour Party kept on fomenting violence for several years after the incident and has been accused of various beatings, murders and gerrymandering procedures which led it to retain power with a minority of votes in 1981.

International response

The European Parliament and several European governments expressed deep concern regarding these incidents. Three days after Black Monday, Mintoff expressed his personal regret in writing to Mabel Strickland, proprietor of Progress Press. He explicitly condemned the violence in an interview published by the Italian newsmagazine "Panorama" on November 11.

Mintoff never took the initiative to bring the criminals to justice.

References