28th April - Jum Zghazagh Laburisti

Today the Labour Party celebrates Labour Youth Day, a day which is associated with the anniversary of 29th April 1958. During this day many workers and Labour supporters together with the GWU protested in various localities around Malta against the British Imperial rule.
During those days Maltese workers were humiliated when their jobs, especially those at our shipyards were being downsized leaving a lot of Maltese families without a proper income. During that year the Labour government resigned from office and made the 'Break with Britain Resolution' where the option for integration with the United Kingdom was put down once and for all. Now the the Malta Labour Party began the fight for full and complete independence from the British Empire.
Protests on this day were held mainly in the Southern area of Malta especially in Paola, Zabbar and Tarxien. Maltese demonstrators were beaten by British soldiers, many demonstrators were arrested from months, amongst them Agatha Barbara, a former Labour Minister and President emeritus of the Republic of Malta.
The youth were the protagonists of this fight for freedom, this can be clearly seen by hundredths of teens arrested and beaten up by the police on this day.
One has to note that furthur repercussions from these demonstrations resulted in the first tensions between the Catholic Church and the Labour Party. This was the results on comments made by the Archbishop Gonzi who condemned the GWU protest.
This was another chapter of the glorious past of the Labour Party, a chapter which each and everyone of us has to remember, these protesters who had the courage to go out and show their anger at the British rule suffered a lot, they suffered hunger in their prison cells, continuous beatings, hours of interrogations and also some of them even lost their jobs! Let us all remember and recall our history it will give us the courage to look forward for a better future!