When Protests Are Conveniently Branded as “Far-Right”
Herman Grech, editor-in-chief of the Times of Malta, has described yesterday’s massive protests in London as “far-right” and “racist.” Yet, a closer look at the scenes unfolding in the British capital tells a different story.
One reader aptly reminded Grech that people today are no longer naïve. Access to foreign news, images, and live streams means narratives can be checked against reality. Photos and videos from London show a diverse crowd marching together: men and women of different backgrounds, including people of colour. In fact, even black women were visibly present among the demonstrators. How, then, can such a movement be simplistically dismissed as racist?
As another reader to the editor, there was no far right in the protest, but ordinary people protesting against the government.
The definition of racism has long been tied to historical power structures, often framed as actions perpetrated by whites against blacks. To label a protest involving a mixed group of participants, united not by skin colour but by political and social concerns, as inherently racist is intellectually dishonest.
It seems that in the eyes of certain media outlets, any public demonstration where participants wave their national flags, without simultaneously waving rainbow flags, is automatically branded “far-right” or “racist.” Such framing not only silences legitimate dissent but also cheapens the real meaning of racism by applying it indiscriminately.
The irony is striking: The Times receives funding to verify facts, yet it fails to scrutinise its own stories, preferring to perpetuate political agendas. Under the very hate speech laws that Malta has enacted, such reporting could arguably qualify as incitement, since Herman Grech knowingly spreads division and misinformation. Yet, these laws were never intended to apply equally. Instead, they serve as instruments to drag into court and silence those whose views diverge from the liberal left’s orthodoxy.
The role of journalism should be to report facts, not to impose ideological filters. When editors resort to blanket labels, they risk alienating readers who can see through the narrative. People are watching, and more importantly, they are verifying.
Note: I am personally sharing photos and videos from the protests to demonstrate how the Times of Malta’s reporting misrepresents reality and to expose the agenda behind such narratives.