Graffitti protest: 2019 building ‘reform’ was servile to construction lobby

Residents are being held hostage by developers who consider themselves above the law, Graffitti said as it announced plans for a protest on Saturday.

The NGO said Miriam Pace’s tragic death on Monday was caused by “yet another act of carelessness by the development lobby”.

Pace died when her house collapsed. The building in Triq Joseph Abela Scolaro is adjacent to a construction site where excavation works were taking place.

Graffitti will be holding a non-partisan protest on Saturday that will start from near St Thomas More College in Santa Venera and proceed towards the destroyed house.

Graffitti decried the unsustainable situation in the country.

“Residents and citizens are held hostage by a group of developers who consider themselves above the law and have total control over politics, its players, and the authorities that should be administering it,” the NGO said.

Moviment Graffitti said the construction lobby was continuously interfering in reforms in the sector and insisted that its profits, not decency, were the most important value.

The NGO said that the lack of enforcement in the sector, inadequate laws, a complete laissez-faire attitude in planning, lack of safety in construction sites, and the “arrogant bullying attitude of the development lobby” was the result of years and years of donations and pressure on the world of politics.

“This latest fatality is the direct result of this situation. Together with this, the legal notice drafted by Robert Musumeci after a spate of similar incidents last summer is the product of incompetence and servility towards the construction lobby. As we have repeated many times, accidents like this were going to continue because this ‘reform’ did not tackle, in any manner, the structural problems within the system,” Graffitti said.

The NGO highlighted that besides a justified expression of anger on part of the public, during the protest they will be asking for a “serious and decent approach” in the construction industry.

“We are presenting proposals for a reform that will relieve residents of their financial and logistical burdens, that will give workers their rights and safety, that will introduce the licensing of contractors and developers, as well as the introduction of a points and blacklisting system,” Graffitti said.

The NGOs proposals can be viewed online here.

The protest will take place on 7 March at 10:30am starting from St Thomas More College in Santa Venera, and moving towards the site of the tragedy where some speeches will be held.