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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2014 News 11 TIM DIACONO MALTA could become a Muslim state within the next 20 years, ac- cording to Alex Pisani, president of the Organisation of Maltese Patriots (Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin). "The people don't yet know what integration means, it is like giving people full citizenship rights," Pisani said. "These people will then also be able to bring their family members over. At this rate, we expect Malta to become an African or Muslim state within the next 20 years. Islam is slowly taking over Europe, but we have one religion, Catholicism, and we are proud of it." He was speaking just before the organisation's second anti-immigra- tion protest yesterday, this time with a specific emphasis on the perceived problems brought about by integra- tion with foreign cultures. Pisani again denied being a racist. "I'm not fighting for my skin col- our but for my Maltese identity," he explained. However, when asked, he said that British immigrants are not problematic to Malta because 'they have managed to integrate'. He also claimed that Malta does not have enough resources, includ- ing water, to deal with immigration flows. "We don't have enough water for all these mouths to drink," Pisani said. Only around 50 people, most of whom were middle-aged or elderly, took part in the protest march from Floriana to Castille, shouting chants such as 'Malta is for Maltese, not for- eigners', 'No for integration, without consultation,' and 'Jobs for the Mal- tese, not for foreigners'. A few British people also took part in the protest and two young children were stra- tegically placed at the front of the march. Protestors waved placards with slogans such as 'Malta is a small, vul- nerable island', 'United Nations help us too please' and 'Update human rights'. "Where is the crib and baby Jesus?" protestors shouted as they marched along Republic Street, which is being decorated for Christmas. "This is your future we're fight- ing for," Pisani told onlookers. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for not uniting with us in this protest." The protest ended outside Castille, with Pisani praising the cheering crowd for being "true patriots" and criticising the people who only share their anti-immigration views on Fa- cebook. "Many people comment against immigration on Facebook, but they are too afraid to show their faces in the streets," Pisani said, while declar- ing his support for the far-right Brit- ish political parties United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the English Defence League (EDL). When asked whether his support for such parties means that he is in favour of Malta leaving the European Union, Pisani said that leaving the EU would work out well for Malta as "we have become puppets of the EU." Meanwhile, Henry Battistino from the same organisation criticised po- litical parties and the media. "Neither party had spoken about integration before the general elec- tions," he said. "Where is the media? Are they too focused on the Eurovi- sion contest?" The protest concluded with Pisani inviting a protestor to the steps of Castille to say a few words. The man began talking about 'blacks' but was quickly cut off by Pisani, mistakenly thinking that his choice of language could be racist. "Call them foreigners or immi- grants," Pisani advised. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW AGIUS 25YEAROLD Jonathan Felice was sent down for nine years by Mr Justice Michael Mallia yesterday for attempted aggravated theft in which an elderly woman was injured. Felice was also condemned to pay the costs of the case, amounting to €970. Jurors returned a guilty verdict after a relatively brief period of de- liberation. Felice was tried for his part in an attempted house robbery in which the 81-year-old-woman was in- jured. He was convicted of attempted ag- gravated theft and causing slight in- jury on six votes to three, but found not guilty of causing grievous bodily harm. Mr Justice Mallia took into consid- eration Felice's voluminous criminal record and relative youth in handing down the sentence, which is close to the maximum for the offences. Felice was 17 years old when he broke into the home of 81-year-old Dolores Debono in 2006, together with two other unidentified men. He had chosen to testify to the jury, and denied being present during the robbery. The victim has since died. Lawyers Giannella Busuttil and Nadia Attard prosecuted, while lawyers Leslie Cuschieri and Anna Portelli defended the accused. The jury of eight men and three women listened intently as Mr Jus- tice Mallia explained the relevant principles of criminal law and pro- cedure in the context of the case at hand. Of the three assailants, only one – alleged by the prosecution to be Felice – did not have a face cover- ing. Debono had testified at the compilation stage that Felice was the one who held her down, injur- ing her, while the others ransacked her house. Felice chose to give testimony at the jury, telling the court that he was not present during the robbery and that the victim had claimed it was he because he used to play in the street near her house as a child. Felice's testimony, however, was taken apart by the prosecution ear- lier in the week, when it was pointed out that the victim had recognised the accused on four separate oc- casions – in two identification pa- rades, from photographs shown to her by the police and finally in court when she testified at his compila- tion of evidence. The victim was not called to testify in the trial on account of her age, the AG choosing instead to rely on the testimony she gave during the compilation of evidence. The victim was never cross-exam- ined by the defence. Referring to this during his sum- ming up, the judge pointed out that the defence might complain that the prosecution took seven years to begin proceedings, but on the other hand the defence had seven years to table their request to cross examine the victim. However Mr Justice Mallia was at pains to point out that this was no fault of the accused's current coun- sel, who had only taken up the brief last year. Maltese 'patriots' take to the streets in fear of Muslim takeover PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD "Where is the crib and baby Jesus?" protestors shouted as they marched along Republic Street, which is being decorated for Christmas Nine years' imprisonment for aggravated theft A family of migrants looks at protestors from the newly-formed Ghaqda Patrijotti Maltin as they marched from Floriana 'in protest at integration'