A public protest against the proposed development at Żonqor Point will be held in Valletta on June 20, environmental movement Front Ħarsien ODZ an-nounced yesterday.
“The protest will call on government to abide by the local plan for the South of Malta and reconfirm the designation of the entire Żonqor area as a national park where no development is allowed and where the livelihood of farmers is protected,” said spokesman and academic Shaun Grech.
The movement said the protest, which will start outside Parliament at 10am and proceed along Republic Street, was organised by citizens and did not represent any single political party or non-governmental organisation.
“Most environmental organisations are already supporting the cause, and we encourage everyone who has the environment close to their heart to join us,” said Dr Grech.
Front Ħarsien ODZ was established last month as a citizens’ movement in response to plans to site the new American University on ODZ land at Marsascala’s Żonqor Point.
It has since also expressed itself against the construction of a shooting range close to the Mount Saint Joseph retreat house in Mosta, citing the scale of the development in an outside development zone.
Everyone who has the environment close to their heart should join us
Responding to the government’s commitment to reducing the footprint of the Żonqor project, sociologist and former Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio said yesterday there could be no compromise while any part of the construction remained outside development zones.
He called on the government to seriously explore the alternative sites that have been proposed, assessing the environmental impact as well as issues such as transport and public health.
Desiree Attard, the Labour deputy mayor of Marsascala, said residents had been shocked to hear the mayor state last week there was no opposition to the project in the locality.
“Residents did not expect to suddenly see this project, the size of 12 football pitches, launched without consultation or proper impact assessments,” she said. “The people don’t want it there. It’s simply not feasible.”
Also present was PN councillor Charlot Cassar, who said people who earned their livelihood in the area were hugely concerned about the environmental and financial implications of the project on the locality.
In a statement, Alternattiva Demokratika, represented yesterday by chairman Arnold Cassola, expressed its solidarity “towards the farmers whose land will be taken away [and] the residents who will be deprived of a public open space that serves as a green lung for Marsascala residents.”
Support for the protest was announced later in the day by the Ramblers’ Association, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Greenhouse, Birdlife and Nature Trust.
The organisations said the contested land represented “an invaluable public benefit and should not be sacrificed to the advantage of private investors”.