Moviment Graffitti lambast Comino kiosk operator blasting loud music at Blue Lagoon

On Friday, the NGO posted a video on social media which shows kiosk operators blasting music on a large speaker in Blue Lagoon. "... in total disregard of the island’s Natura 2000 status and with disrespect to the general public, the kiosk operators in Comino are still intent on blaring loud music at the Blue Lagoon, even at this time of year!"

In the summer of 2022, Moviment Graffitti activists launched a direct action on the island of Comino, protesting the private concessions blocking access to the public coastline. The Graffitti activists proceeded to remove the laid-out deckchairs and folded them neatly against a retaining wall. 

Back then, tourism minister Clayton Bartolo had said that he issued an order so that no umbrellas and deckchairs are placed on the sandy beach, but Moviment Graffitti claimed otherwise. The NGO said that only a few deckchairs on the small sandy part of the beach had been removed. 

On Friday, Moviment Graffitti said that Comino's exploitation by kiosk owners who profit off public land is unacceptable. "In response to our collective protests in previous years, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo had stated that kiosks were no longer allowed to amplify music. We demand that enforcement is in place to ensure this, now and throughout the year," the activists stated. 

"This weekend, Friends of the Earth Malta are holding the Exhibition Opening: Comino will be Different Next Summer to tell the story of the decades of disrespect Comino has endured and to highlight the calls from civil society to safeguard the island’s natural heritage," the activists concluded.