Sliema ‘circus’ candidate insulted by clown cat-calls

Circus organiser and Nationalist candidate for the Sliema council Silvio Zammit took the stand to tell the courts he felt he had been insulted by two sixteen-year-olds during a protest against animal circuses.

Zammit said the fact he was called a pulcinell (buffoon) by the protestors, given that he was an identifiable member of society in his role as a circus organiser, was tantamount to an insult.

Defence lawyer Joe Brincat, appearing for the teens whose name cannot be published by court order, argued that the insult was a generic one and made in the context of the circus that they were protesting against.

Brincat also argued that the incident, which took place in 2010, had been prescribed.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona put the case off for judgment for the 29 March.

In a statement earlier in the day, Moviment Graffitti, of whom one of the defendants is an activist, said the police force's prosecution of the activist was "ridiculous and over the top".

"A Moviment Graffitti activist is being accused of having slandered Silvio Zammit at a protest when she allegedly chanted the slogan 'Silvio Pulċinell". This protest was organised by various animal rights organisations in order to demonstrate their disapproval of animal cruelty in circuses.

"Silvio Zammit, one of the principal promoters of circuses in Malta, took offence at this slogan which was allegedly being chanted by scores of people gathered at the protest. He requested the police to press charges.

"This is not the first time Silvio Zammit tried silencing criticism directed at himself by summoning animal rights activist to court on grounds of defamation. Graffitti notes with growing concern that this time however it is the police who are pressing charges against an activist simply for chanting a slogan."