‘MPs not welcome’ at Graffitti public forum that will formulate protest demands

A national protest scheduled to take place next month has received the support of 52 civil society groups, Moviment Graffitti said on Saturday.

The protest will take place at Valletta on 7 September, with a public forum seeking citizens’ contribution in formulating the protest’s demands to be held before.  

Graffitti said that the groups who had registered their participation included environmental NGOs and residents from localities like Zejtun, Pembroke, Marsaskala, Attard, Pieta’ and Zebbug, as well as cultural, human rights’ and students’ organisations.

“It is truly encouraging to see that a wide array of people from different backgrounds and with different interests are coalescing to demand an end to the unbridled environmental destruction and a better quality of life,” the NGO said.

Graffitti said that organisations are still in time to register their participation on www.7settembru.org.

The protest will be making six demands aimed at “reining in excessive and haphazard construction through”: changing planning policies ; reforming authorities responsible for the environment and planning; a moratorium on large-scale projects until a comprehensive and serious plan for development is introduced; a strategy on roads and alternative transportation; regulation of the construction industry and; protecting biodiversity and citizens’ health.  

Members of the public will be given the opportunity to submit their proposals and input in relation to the six demands during the public forum, which will be held on Wednesday 28 August at the Friends of the Earth offices in Floriana at 7pm.
 

All proposals put forward during this public meeting will be taken note of an integrated into a set of “reasonable demands” that will be presented to the authorities, Graffitti said.  

“This Public Forum is strictly reserved to those who have no means of making their voices heard during five years of legislature; Members of Parliament are not welcome."