How convinced are we that Sette Giugno was a full-on act of nationalism? It is true that the Maltese people rose against the British after having four of their own shot. But was this truly a defining moment in Malta’s national consciousness—or simply the boiling over of hunger, frustration, and social despair? Was this uprising truly nationalism, or was it just another bread riot?The contextDuring the First World War, Malta earned its reputation as the “Nurse of the Mediterranean” due to the thousands of wounded soldiers and sailors who were brought to the islands for care. At the same time, several warships were arriving in the dockyard for repair or refit. Thus, the harbour was a busy place and the centre of the Maltese economy.Despite the temporary economic relief between 1914 and 1918, the scarcity of basic supplies meant that food prices began to rise and considering the low wages that the workers had, it was challenging to make ends meet. In 1916, the Imperial Government Workers Union was set up and a year later, a strike was staged by dockyard workers in response to what was widely seen as a meagre 10% wage rise granted at the time .At the end of the war, there was a general dissatisfaction with the British Imperial Administration as work at the dockyard slowed down. This meant that the large workforce, that was invaluable during the war, was no longer required and dockyard workers were being laid off. A lack of job security was thus one of the main problems simmering in the Maltese Islands at the time.In the political arena, the constitution granted in 1903, had set the number of elected members to eight which was a minority when compared to the total of 20 members in cabinet. In response to this, Maltese politicians like Dr Enrico Mizzi, Mgr Ignazio Panzavecchia and Dr (later Sir) Filippo Sceberras, started to draft a new and improved constitution which would have a degree of autonomy from the colonisers for local affairs.However, for the average Maltese citizen, constitutional reform was a distant concern. “In 1919, what mattered most were the more immediate issues, and these matters rose above politics and political parties,” writes George Cassar in “Remembering Sette Giugno 1919”.Each of these factors – economic injustice, political powerlessness, social instability – formed a volatile backdrop. But can such grievances remain separate from nationalism? Or do they in fact give rise to it?The British were well aware of how desperate the situation was for the average families. Despite this, they opted to keep the tax on imported flour against the recommendation of the Council of Government on 9th March 1918.To make matters worse, the bread available during this difficult period was of poor quality since rice and potatoes were added to the mixture and the dough was not allowed to rise. This caused widespread illness, during a period when Malta found itself without a governor, following the resignation of Lord Methuen on 29th April 1919. Amidst all this, the war-time Governor of Malta, Lord Methuen, resigned on 29th April 1919 and Malta would not have a governor until June 1919.Each of these factors laid the groundwork for what would be remembered as the Sette Giugno events.The events of 7th June 1919The Assemblea Nazionale (which was set up to represent Maltese society and to debate Malta’s constitutional future) met at the Circolo La Giovane Malta in the then Kingsway corner, completely unaware of what was to come in the streets of Valletta.Prompted by the newspapers, crowds of Maltese citizens made their way to Valletta. In a climate of growing unrest and desperation, long-standing grievances finally erupted in the streets, with the British and all they represented becoming the primary targets. It was in this tense atmosphere— and while the Assemblea Nazionale was still in session—that the riots broke out.At St George’s Square, soldiers stationed in front of the Main Guard were confronted by an angry crowd prompting them to shut the Main Guard and Governor’s Palace doors.The crowd split in two and started to vandalise the house of wheat importer Cassar Torreggiani as well as Francesco Azzopardi’s residence. British soldiers arrived at these two locations and took the firing position, to which the mob retreated. The soldiers were instructed not to shoot unless ordered to do so. Opposite Cassar Torreggiani’s residence, a man confronted the soldiers single-handedly and shots were fired. Manwel Attard, 27, and Giuseppe Bajada, 24, were shot and died on the scene.The mob vandalised The Daily Malta Chronicle building as well and when the British soldiers arrived at the scene, they detected a smell of gas and fired a round to disperse the crowds blocking the entrance. Lorenzo Dyer, 21, was seriously injured and later died in St George’s Square from his injuries.While members of the Assemblea Nazionale spoke to the Police Commissioner to try and calm the situation outside Circolo La Giovane Malta, marines were making their way into the Law Courts, eventually, the situation was calmed down but by that point the Maltese sought retribution for the people who had been shot, as well as for the desperate living situation.On 8th June at around 9.30am, in Strada Stretta, a British soldier named McDougall was beaten and badly wounded, again eliciting calls for the members of the Assemblea Nazionale to act once again. They went to see General Hunter-Blair who later addressed the crowd from the Governor’s Palace promising that an inquiry would be held on the officers that fired onto the crowds.Another mob marched to the residence of Colonel Francica, which was vandalised. Marines were once again deployed and Carmelo Abela was fatally wounded after he was bayonetted. Several arrests were made that day. The violence persisted throughout the day but gradually subsided in the days that followed.Returning to the questionSo, given these facts, how can we determine whether Sette Giugno was merely a bread riot or a moment of deep national awakening?To approach this question, one must understand that the causes that led to the riots- and the actions taken on 7th June 1919- meant different things to different people. Let’s keep in mind that there were various social classes, each facing their own struggles in daily life.Considering that most of the population was illiterate at that point in time (and thus unable to vote), we cannot claim that their actions were purely political when they stormed the streets of Valletta. Their primary concern was ensuring they could feed their families and make ends meet.But this is where we must be careful not to separate material struggle from politics. In reality, politics is the arena through which material grievances – like hunger, poverty, and inequality – are expressed, negotiated, and resisted.What some might call “bread and butter issues” are in fact the soil in which ideological movements, including nationalism, take root. When a people find themselves trapped in unjust conditions, questions of identity, sovereignty, and self-determination inevitably begin to take shape – even if not always consciously.Thus, the core of the protest lay in the fact that bread was neither affordable nor of acceptable quality. However, the fact that the Maltese stood up to the British after they fired on the crowd, could be interpreted as an act of nationalism, as Professor Dominic Fenech noted in a discussion on the events of the Sette Giugno. Initially, as the narrative suggests, the Maltese people directing their anger at the local millers rather than the British. But history allows us to reinterpret such moments: what began as anger over bread became, in hindsight, a catalyst in Malta’s path toward self-rule.As for the higher classes of society, consider the members of the Assemblea Nazionale who came from the middle and upper strata of Maltese society. They represented different sectors of society including lawyers, doctors, clergymen, landowners and business leaders.Their aim was to get a better constitution for Malta. The Assemblea Nazionale had formed amid the growing political unrest. Following the 1903 “Chamberlain” constitution- which only allowed for eight elected members out of the 20 members- the members’ aim was to demand self-government for Malta (which was eventually granted in 1921 and to push for constitutional reform).In the wider context, one could argue that their actions after 7th June 1919 reflected a broader national sentiment, as they advocated for a more just political and social future for Malta. And so, while the crowd may not have carried nationalist slogans or flags, their resistance – born from hunger, injustice, and frustration – became part of Malta’s national story.Whether or not the participants recognised it at the time, Sette Giugno can be seen today not just as a bread riot, but as one of the first public, collective expressions of Maltese nationhood. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)•