Naxxar protest: Circus organiser locks himself in tigers' cage

The owner of Circo Fantasy, the circus at Naxxar, had locked himself in a cage with two large Siberian tigers to protest over Mepa's decision to order the circus out of the locality. Mario Sali locked himself in at about 2 p.m. and says he will stay there until the issue of his permits is sorted out. He said he had been granted permits by Naxxar Council and the police to use the square up to January 6 and had not known anything about Mepa. Yesterday, he said, he was served with an enforcement notice by the Authority. He was told he could stay on site for another 15 days, but the circus could not operate. This, he said, did not make sense, and he should not be made to suffer administrative confusion. "All I need is another 15 days, I have paid for the use of the square," he said. Mepa yesterday ordered the circus to take down its tent and move out of the car park of the Trade Fair Grounds, saying its 30-day permit had expired. It had said the circus was cooperating. Mr Sali said it was true that he had dismantled some items and put some animals in the trucks, but he was still insisting that the circus should continue to operate. He said he would take the animals out of the trucks...