Unknown robbers have already made off with nine out of 25 EU anti-discrimination posters installed along the St Julian’s promenade in Sliema, while another poster has been damaged, barely two weeks since they were exhibited.
The posters, designed by young artists from all over Europe, are the finalists of the Breaking Stereotypes competition and were meant to remain hosted in Sliema until 8 October before touring schools.
However, five posters were stolen in the first week of the exhibition, another four were spirited away last week and a tenth was partly ripped off.
“I hope there are still some posters hanging as we speak,” said Beate Jeska, public relations executive at Media Consulta, the agency in charge of the event on behalf of the European Commission.
“Probably people took them because they liked them,” she said about the posters that have been touring Europe. “We produced these posters especially for Malta to have them exhibited outdoors, but I doubt they will be replaced now as their production was quite expensive given they were printed on PVC rather than on paper.”
The organizers did not file police reports but said it was “very disappointing that these thefts happened at all”.
“We hope that the rest of the Breaking Stereotypes Poster Exhibition will stay there till 8 October,” Jeska added. “The outdoor exhibition was made for everyone, and everyone should have the chance to see the posters.”
After 8 October, Stella Maris College will be the first school to host the exhibition, with the stolen posters replaced by new ones that will be printed on paper.
The winning poster and others can be viewed online and ordered on www.stop-discrimination.info/7359.0.html.
The “Breaking Stereotypes” Poster Competition forms part of the wider “For Diversity. Against Discrimination” information campaign, launched by the European Commission to promote the benefits of diversity and to raise awareness of EU-wide rules to combat discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation.

See also page 33