VALLETTA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Police were called in on Tuesday to help quell a protest at one of Malta's detention centers where hundreds of migrants were demanding "freedom."
The protest, which lasted from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., was kept under control. No major incidents were reported.
The migrants held at a detention center in the harbor village of Marsa waved towels, banged on windows and chanted "We want freedom."
One migrant climbed the fence and jumped into a nearby canal. He was immediately captured by the police and taken to hospital. The situation seemed to escalate during the rescue because he resisted and the migrants inside the center began insulting the police and tried to force open the main gate.
However, the situation was soon brought under control. A police spokesman told Xinhua that only the person who tried to flee was arrested and that the intervention of the riot police squad was not required.
In April, a similar protest took place at the Marsa detention center.
