Teatru Malta artistic director Sean Buhagiar has been questioned by the Malta Police Force after River of Love leader Gordon Manché filed a criminal report against him.
The artistic leader’s criminal report is the latest legal situation pursued by Manché, after the River of Love leader reported him to the police for calling him an “asshole” and revisiting a joke previously made by satirist Matt Bonanno.
In a recent social media post made by Buhagiar, the national theatre company boss called the situation “alarmingly serious”, shining a light on the fact that Manché was using legal means to challenge and stifle free speech and satirical expression.
Could we stand up and fight back? with satire? Imagine if every comedian, artist, writer, and creative practitioner called him “Malta’s biggest asshole” and humorously suggested to whimsically “relocate River of Love to Buġibba, then carpet bomb”, Buhagiar wrote on Facebook.
The theatre veteran is only the latest target of the River of Love pastor, previously filing charges against Bis-Serjetà creator Matt Bonanno and comedian Daniel Xuereb, saying that “this cannot be tolerated.”
Comedians across Malta have come forward in support of the three individuals in question, asserting that satire is a tool which should not be threatened by law and such means of free speech should not be challenged.
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