[WATCH] Demonstrators gather in Valletta calling for 'justice and truth'

Activists and demonstrators gathered in Valleta at a street protest this afternoon, which started outside the Auberge De Castille, calling for "justice and truth".

The demonstration, organised by civil society groups #OccupyJustice and Awturi, was held in light of recent revelations connected to The Daphne Project, a group of more than 18 media organisations investigating stories which murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia had been working on.

The most important revelations published to date were connected to Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi’s and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri’s links to Dubai company 17 Black, and to allegations that the police force had been tapping the phone of one of the suspects behind the Caruana Galizia car bomb, but failed to stop the crime from happening.

The demonstrators marched from Castille Place to Republic Street, to chants of "thieves, liars, your only place is in a prison cell".

Maria Efimova commends demonstrators

Speaking on a pre-recorded sound clip played at the protest, former Pilatus Bank employee turned whistleblower Maria Efimova praised the “brave people” at the demonstration who were there to “defend the country they live in”.

“I took my own risks,” she said.

A journalist who would not be silenced was killed she emphasised, adding that she had hope the truth would prevail.

“I have hope, I have faith,” she remarked.

PD MP Godfrey Farrugia spoke of having believed in Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, but having been “tricked.”

“Everyone in the country is showing that this is the time of change,” Farrugia said, “There is a sense of realisation - that everyone is fed up of polarised politics.”

“It is time to have courage to break politics that divided,” he said, adding that there were now more jobs and people had increased rights in Malta, but the country paid a high price for that.

“I am here not as a politician or MEP, but as a Maltese citizen who loves his country,” MEP David Casa subsequently told the demonstrators.

“All we worked for is being destroyed - we lost peace of mind, we’ve lost a friend named Daphne. If she as here, she would be happy.”

“Daphne’s stories will be made bigger by the international media giants,” Casa maintained.

He promised he would beep working with Europol and the FBI, despite the “Prime Minister’s threats”.

Delia amongst the demonstrators

Opposition leader Adrian Delia is amongst the protesters.

Nationalist Party MPs Simon Busuttil, Beppe Fenech Adami, Jason Azzopardi, Karol Aquilina and Clyde Puli, Democratic Party MPs Marlene Farrugia and Godfrey Farrugia, and PN MEP David Casa are also attending