Vuċi Kollettiva holds picnic protest at Ta’ Qali, calls on government to listen to public outcry

Youth advocacy group Vuċi Kollettiva staged a picnic protest at Ta’ Qali on Saturday, warning recent works have stripped the popular open space of its natural character and left it unfit for public enjoyment.

“We are here today to show that, in its current state, this area can no longer be enjoyed as it always was,” the group said during the event.

The organisation stressed that for generations families have enjoyed the large stretch of land at Ta’ Qali, which it described as one of the few natural areas left in the Maltese islands. It argued that the heavy intervention, including the laying of gravel and sand, has made the site almost impossible to use for recreation.

Vuċi Kollettiva questioned whether similar projects will be carried out in other places “behind the public’s back”, warning that public outcry will only grow if this is the case.

The group also criticised the way the Ta’ Qali works were pushed through without consultation, even though they are being paid for by taxpayers.

It said that those who speak out are now being threatened with legal action, calling such moves “arrogant” and “bullying” which are not worthy of a democratic country.

According to Vuċi Kollettiva, around eight thousand people have already told government that the project is unacceptable.

The group is now calling for an official study on the impact of the works at Ta’ Qali, a public evaluation of alternative options that would have less impact on the landscape, and the withdrawal of legal threats against citizens who expressed their opinion and concern.

The protest was led by Vuċi Kollettiva, who said they will continue to press government for answers.

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