In the aftermath of the First World War, with the disruptions in agriculture and industry across the whole of the continent, the Maltese colonial government failed to provide an adequate supply of basic food provisions for the islands.

Imports were limited, and as food became scarce prices rose; this made the fortune of farmers and merchants with surpluses to trade.

The dockyard workers formed a union in 1916, and in 1917 organised a strike after being offered a 10% pay increase which was generally regarded as failing to keep up with the cost of living.

There was a widespread belief amongst the populace that grain importers and flour millers were making excessive profits over the price of bread.

[4] Nationalist tensions were also present in the crowds who, on 25 February, attacked shopkeepers who had remained open during the meeting of the Assembly, such as the shop "A la Ville de Londres."

"[6] The first spark of unrest centred on the Maltese flag defaced[a] with the Union Jack flying above the "A la Ville de Londres."

The death of the President of the Court some days earlier had required all governmental departments to fly the Union Flag at half mast, including the Bibliothèque buildings in Pjazza Regina, and the meteorological office.

The crowd then returned to the front of the Bibliothèque, shouting for the Union Flag to be taken away; it was promptly removed by the men on duty.

The mob then moved back to Palace square, where they began to insult the soldiers detached in front the Main Guard buildings.

In Strada Teatro, the offices of the Daily Malta Chronicle were broken into, with pieces of metal jammed in the workings of the presses to break them.

While this was taking place, other crowds were attacking the homes of perceived supporters of the Imperial government and profiteering merchants in Strada Forni.

Six soldiers, under the command of Major Ritchie, the G.S.O., and Captain Ferguson, made their way towards Strada Forni to defend the house of Anthony Cassar Torreggiani, a leading importer, which was under attack by the crowd.

The moderates were bent on accepting the message of the Secretary for the Colonies as a genuine step towards improving the situation, and had to be recognised as such.

With his revolver stolen and his uniform torn, the captain reached a troop of 24 soldiers, which was then directed to Strada Forni.

[8] The report of the inquiring commission then proceeded to state that a shot was heard from the direction of a window of the Cassar Torreggiani house.

Shields feared making the soldiers exit the office one by one, since the crowd outside would certainly attack them; on the other hand, they could not remain inside.

Disturbances continued the next day, with crowds attacking the palace of Colonel Francia, who also owned a flour-milling machine.

Royal Malta Artillery soldiers were used to protect Francia's house, but they were loath to use force against their own countrymen.

Another group attacked the flour mills owned by Cassar Torreggiani in Marsa, while other trading houses were raided in the outlying villages.

The House of Commons of the United Kingdom stressed that Malta was to have "control of purely local affairs", with the Colonial Secretary sending a detailed description of the proposed constitution to the National Assembly.

Due to great public appeal against the storage of such a nationally important monument, it was recently placed in Hastings Gardens, Valletta.