As Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and other MPs tried to leave Parliament this evening, they were surrounded by a large crowd of protesters that blocked any exit from Parliament.

Ahead of this afternoon’s sitting, Freedom Square and the area all around it was surrounded by police barriers. However, the place was quickly filled with protesters just after 4pm, waiting for Muscat – and the rest of his Parliamentary Group – to leave.

As police officers approached the barriers down the road to let the first of the ministerial cars through, protesters in the front rows sat down, blocking the road to chants of “Mafia!”

Shortly after, a group of ministers were seen walking down the road towards the protesters and walking back up to Parliament to jeers by the surrounding crowd.