Following the news of Infrastructure Malta and Dr Ian Borg’s underhanded judicial protest, in yet another bid to stop residents’ actions against Borg’s road to nowhere, a petition with almost 200 signatories from Dingli has been sent to Dr Borg and Ing Frederick Azzopardi.
The state roads agency is attempting to justify its questionable and insatiable desire for this road to be built, no matter the cost, and is now using a handful of residents to vilify Moviment Graffitti for its actions in stopping heavy machinery from starting works.
However, 192 residents, all of whom hail from Dingli and residing in the affected streets, including Sqaq il-MUSEUM, Triq San Ġwann Bosco and Daħla tas-Sienja, have stated unequivocally that they are not in favour of the road. The number is set to increase as more residents have asked to sign the petition.
The judicial protest states that Moviment Graffitti members were protesting in an abusive and clandestine manner, which could be harmful to the residents of the street, as well as blocking residents from leaving their home and getting to their work or appointments in a timely manner.
Moviment Graffitti flatly denies these base insinuations conjured by Frederick Azzopardi and his team. Members of this group, flanked by other residents of the same street and other supporters were protesting peacefully. Law enforcement was present on site and at no point during the proceedings felt the need to intervene, simply because there was none of the trouble and chaos alleged by Infrastructure Malta.
Infrastructure Malta staff, however, forcefully pushed heavy machinery directly onto people standing in the street, as well as blocked the road with a rented car which was left running, ignoring the fact that residents usually need to get to their vehicles at that time of day.
Moreover, people participating in the protest were harassed by a series of phonecalls made from the Infrastructure Malta offices, with various threats and requests to appear at IM’s offices for alleged and mysterious breaches of data protection law.
On Wednesday afternoon, Transport Malta officials appeared on the scene to tow away cars from Triq Dun Bosco, without any “no parking” signs having been affixed in the area. This vindictive behaviour against innocent residents, said Moviment Graffitti, is unbecoming of any state authority in the civilised world.
“Infrastructure Malta and their contractors are clearly panicked and desperate. They resort to lies, violence and half truths, but this is their standard way of working. We are also aware of divisionary tactics being employed to separate residents from each other, using vindictive actions and threats. Their latest stunt – the judicial protest – indicates that the majority of Dingli residents are not in support of Ian Borg’s road to nowhere, as can be seen by the signatories to our position on Dingli.
We thank the residents and farmers of Dingli, as well members of the general public, for their heartwarming support to the cause shown in various ways, including food deliveries and donations. Our struggle against the forces of greed continues,” said the group.
