[WATCH] Graffitti activists protest roadworks in Dingli as Infrastructure Malta tries to block access to site

Moviment Graffitti activists spent a second day in Dingli in a bid to prevent Infrastructure Malta from constructing a controversial street on ODZ land.

Graffitti spokesperson Andre Callus accused Infrastructure Malta of building a connecting road between two alleyways without a permit, by claiming the local plan allows the road to be built. However, most of the area that will be built up on land that is outside development zones.

Police watch over the Dingli field, through which the new road will pass (Photo: James Bianchi)

“This is a road that makes no sense. It leads nowhere and heads into a dead end. We believe that this road is there to accommodate more development on ODZ,” Callus said.

Activists, residents, and farmers first appeared in Dingli on Monday at 7:30am, when Infrastructure Malta announced that they will be steaming ahead on the works.

“We stopped the works – they continued with the machinery, putting people’s lives in danger, but eventually the works stopped,” Callus said.

Despite being on site for an hour and a half on Monday, Infrastructure Malta already carried out significant work (Photo: James Bianchi)

Infrastructure Malta had initially began works on the road in October 2020, but subsequently put its construction on hold after a protest was held by residents and activists.

But in a statement circulated on Monday, the agency said that it will be going through with the plans and method statements of the road, while continuing talks with the owners of adjacent lands to discuss and conclude “applicable expropriation terms”.

“The only means we have left to stop these people, who are doing enormous harm, is to use direct action and stop the works from starting or continuing,” Callus said.