ACTA protest mirrors people's feelings - Mugliett

Nationalist Party MP Jesmond Mugliett blasted his own government for signing ACTA without first discussing the details on a local level.

"I feel uncomfortable that our country signed this treaty when the discussion had only started in Malta. I am unhappy about that" the former PN minister said.

He said that the protest last Saturday was a significant one because it mirrored the feelings of society on the issue.

"If we are so sure that this treaty is good for our country why are we afraid of discussing it?" Mugliett said.

ACTA is a treaty signed last month in a low-profile fashion which restricts the current freedom on the internet. It allows ISPs to block websites without a court-appointed order, leaving the way for abuse. ACTA also leaves loose ends on what defines illegal material and the lack of definitions could potentially leave the door open for authorities to abuse these regulations.

Below is a map of all ACTA protests in Europe over the past weekend (including Malta) :