Another eyewitness account of the REAL 31 March 1979
Posted by Down Memory Lane:
I happened to be present at Birgu and at other events during those two days, not by choice but because, as a civil servant, I had been ordered to act as liaison officer accompanying a minister from a Warsaw Pact country.
The disorganization and mayhem were beyond belief.
It took two hours to make it to Birgu from Valletta. At the site of Freedom Monument, the chaos was indescribable.
The minister and I, who were allotted a place rather close to the edge of the wharf, were almost swept into the sea when Gadhafi arrived.
The Minister, an extremely cultured gentleman (he was minister of culture of his country and I had time to get to know him during my two days with him) tried to keep a straight face but I could see that he was stunned at what he was witnessing.
The Libyans had come en masse on a ship (I believe it was the Toletela) which had anchored in Grand Harbor and the passengers were allowed to disembark without any customs formalities.
When Gadhafi and this unruly crowd arrived at Birgu, there was a crush and a free for all of pushing and shoving without regard for official guests or any other person present.
Tired as I was because of little sleep during those two days, I was overwhelmed with foreboding. Indeed, I thought things were going to turn out even worse than they eventually did.
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35 sena ta’ Helsien u lanqas tghallmu jiktbtu bil-Malti.
Innutaw l-“ispelling” ta’ Helsien (tliet darbiet!)
http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20140331-pm-remembers-jum-helsein
Il-hanzir taqtaghlu ……(il-bicca) hanzir jibqa’
Xtaqt nistaqsi lil dan l-eyewitness jekk il-festegjamenti sarux bejn it-tlettin u l-wiehed u tletin ta Marzu jew bejn il-wiehed u tlettin u l-ewwel ta’ April. Ghax filkaz Malta kienet hielsa fl-ewwel ta April. Jidher li indunaw tard li ser tkun mal GIFA u bidlu d-data. Anki d-data kontroversjali.
Kont żgħażugħ dak iż-żmien, u fuq ir-radju kontinwament l-Innu tal-Ħelsien, sal-lum għadu jivvibra ġo moħħi.
Salt riklami mill-kumpaniji parastatali biex jawguraw f’Jum Il-Ħelsien. Kont naħdem ma’ kumpanija li l-Libjani kellhom sehem kbir fiha, ordnawlna mmorru fil-Lukanda Jerma Palace biex nilqgħu lil Gaddafi hemm. Ruxmata suldati armati sa snienhom u aħna warajhom, x’ħin wasal Gaddafi, għajjat liema bħalu, “Allaħ u akbar…..Allaħ u akbar.”
Naf li Gaddafi għadda u ma rajtux bl-azzarini u s-suldati li kien hemmm. Qabel l-elezzjoni, pruvajt infiehem lil wieħed li kellu jivvota Lejber biex jipprova u dan u ħafna oħrajn għedthomlu kollha imma xorta għamel fattih u llum qed nerġgħu nġarrbu mill-ġdid.
Li Kristu kellu jiġi mill-ġdid fostna l-Maltin, konna nsallbuh xorta waħda. M’għandix dubju.