Photos credit: National Archives of Malta
Did you know that a month before the Sette Giugno upheavel, when the cry for bread, work, and political demands grew louder, there were protests by some University students?
They stood up for what they considered academic and identity rights.
It goes back to 1914. The Government changed the regulations of some courses, reforms that affected law, medicine, and theology students by increasing their workload and time required to obtain a doctorate. Students who were due to graduate in 1919 were the first to be affected.
The situation heated up and what started as an academic protest among some students, developed into a strike and demonstrations in the streets of Valletta. Politician Francesco Azzopardi ended up being pelted with eggs; the University gate in Valletta was closed in chains; and some even broke windows and threw pieces of furniture outside. Four students were arrested.
So, the next time you hear about the June 7 riots, remember that the students were also angry, although that doesn鈥檛 mean they caused the riots that occurred a month later. Anger, fear, and protest were a constant mix that day.
the interview with Dr Simone Azzopardi, Lecturer at the Faculty of Arts' Department of History.
