They approved Mosta trees removal and now PN councillors claim their pressure led to U-turn

Nationalist Party Mosta councillors have credited the pressure exerted by their leader Bernard Grech for the council’s decision not to relocate Ficus trees at the locality’s square.

In an official statement, minority leader Keith Cassar said Bernard Grech’s visit to activists camped at the Mosta square and the PN councillors' calls for an urgent meeting “yielded the desired results.”

The statement makes no official reference to Moviment Graffitti’s work over the past two days, despite the organisation being at the forefront of the protests. It also ignores the fact that PN councillors had also agreed with the uprooting of the trees during a council meeting held at the start of October.

On 3 October, the council unanimously agreed with the removal of the 12 ficus trees next to the church and their transplanting to another area in Mosta.

The council applied for an environmental permit with ERA, indicating which trees were to be uprooted, where they would be transplanted and what trees would replace them in the square. The authority granted permission on 6 November.

Cassar's statement has no hint of apology over the PN councillors' decision to vote in favour of the uprooting.

“Just this morning, the Labour Mayor of Mosta announced that he was giving in to the pressure exerted by the Nationalist Party, residents of Mosta, and other associations, where everything indicates that the trees of the Square have been saved,” the statement reads.

Opposition to the project only gained momentum after activists from Moviment Graffitti obstructed heavy machinery from uprooting the trees for relocation.

Protests also led to the brief arrest of activist Andre Callus.

The statement was signed by Minority Leader in the Mosta Local Council, as well as councillors and candidates Francis Deguara, Joseph Gatt, Angele Rapa, Aiken Zerafa, Jesmond Gauci, Michaela Ann Bayliss, Thomas DeMartino, Sylvana Demicoli, Garrett Andrew Zammit.

On Tuesday evening, the Nationalist Party said its councillors requested an urgent meeting to discuss the issue after activists and residents protested against the uprooting of the 12 trees.

Activists slept overnight in the square to ensure no works are carried out to uproot the trees, which had been heavily pruned earlier on Tuesday.

Later on Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he met and discussed with the Mosta mayor earlier in the day, as well as with activist Andre Callus.

“There is no doubt in the will of [Grech] and his fellow councillors to carry out the best projects for Mosta’s locals.”