Thousands of protesters gathered in Valletta yesterday morning in a massive environmental rally which organisers are calling the largest citizens’ protest ever to be held in Malta.
More than 3,000 people assembled before Parliament at around 10am in opposition to the government’s plans to site a new university on pristine land outside development zones at Żonqor Point in Marsascala.
To the tune of environmental anthems Malta Not for Sale and Lil Malta, protesters marched to Great Siege Square, spilling out onto adjoining streets as organisers admitted to being “overwhelmed” by the turnout.
Many participants carried banners and placards calling on the government to protect the environment, one of which depicted Joseph Muscat holding a wad of banknotes, with the words: “Nothing else matters.”
You cannot ride roughshod over the will of the people
The protest was organised by the non-partisan Front Ħarsien ODŻ and supported by the Nationalist Party, Alternattiva Demokratika and some 30 civil society organisations.
Addressing the gathered crowd in front of the law courts, Front Ħarsien ODŻ spokesman Michael Briguglio said the turnout was proof that the people’s voice could be just as strong as that of contractors.
To rapturous applause, the former AD chairman called on the government to immediately publish the contract with Sadeen Group and to declare that Żonqor point would not be developed.
‘Overwhelmed at turnout’
“Before the election, (Prime Minister Joseph) Muscat promised the most transparent government in history,” he said, drawing boos from the crowd. “If Malta really belongs to us all, you cannot ride roughshod over the will of the people.”
Dr Briguglio noted that a vacancy for a directorial post in the Environment Protection Directorate had been posted the day before the protest, and insisted the people would not be satisfied with such “gimmicks”.
Speaking on behalf of the Rambler’s Association, veteran environmentalist Lino Bugeja said the assault on the environment was a greater siege than that commemorated by the monument in Great Siege Square. He said the ODZ development was the latest in a series of infringements that included construction in valleys and agricultural lands and the closing of public access paths.
The protest was also attended by Simon Busuttil and members of the PN parliamentary group, as well as the Labour deputy mayor of Marsascala, Desiree Attard, and Labour MP Marlene Farrugia, a vocal opponent of the project.
“Too much development has already taken place in the past, as evidenced by the huge number of empty buildings, and Malta now has to decide which road it will go down,” she said.
“Our natural heritage should not only be protected but embellished. There is land that can be regenerated and old buildings that can be restored to life. This is the sort of sustainable investment that the government should be attracting, to restore our architectural heritage while leaving Żonqor pristine.”
Dr Farrugia said the Prime Minister had shown in the past that he was prepared to listen, and that he should now “seriously and responsibly” find alternative sites for the university project. She added that she was confident he would do so.