With the cry “Give us back our square”, activists and residents occupied the illegal tables and chairs of the db Group in the iconic Mellieħa square Misraħ iż-Żjara tal-Papa on the eve of the Planning Authority hearing where it is expected that the PA will greenlight the illegalities. The activists and residents staged this symbolic action to send a strong message against the take-up of our public spaces by the tables and chairs that are choking our streets, pavements and squares and against the rampant abuse facilitated by our useless authorities.

They insisted that the square belongs to the people, and therefore, it is well within their right, and the people’s right, to take it back. During this symbolic action, they stated that private interests have no right to occupy our public spaces. The people have every right to take back what belongs to them, including public land. The dire situation brought about by the encroachment on public spaces, and all the abuse that this entails, are being facilitated by the complicity of the authorities, including the Planning Authority, the Lands Authority, and the Malta Tourism Authority, which according to the activists, are servile to private interests and actively work against the interests of the people.

The case in Mellieħa, where the ugly monster called greed has also reared its head, is a prime example of how the authorities enable and reward contravenors. The blatant abuse carried out by the db Group was facilitated, and is expected to be rewarded, by the authorities who bent backwards to accommodate their interests. The activists reiterated that the db’s outdoor catering area in the heart of the village is totally illegal since the maze of tables, chairs, umbrellas and other furniture is not covered by a permit. Instead of taking action, the PA let the db Group have its way and do as it pleases. The Ombudsman, whose recommendations went ignored, even reprimanded the authorities for failing to take action, and noted with disbelief how the Planning Authority is encouraging contravenors to do as they please. Not only will it not take action, but it will also help them in avoiding such action. In fact, on the same day that the Ombudsman had warned the PA to issue a stop and enforcement notice against the establishment, the db Group applied to sanction their illegalities with the PA.

The deafening silence of the authorities and the Government is unacceptable. Faced with this gross injustice, the activists and residents therefore felt that they had no choice but to take direct action and occupy the tables and chairs that are illegally occupying the people’s square.

They demand that:

(1) The application (PA/06161/23) of the db Group for the sanctioning of illegal structures on public land is categorically rejected by the PA in the hearing on Friday, April 12.

(2) The applicant should be forced to remove all the structures placed in the square, return the square to the public, and pay heavy fines for the abuse that went on unimpeded for 8 months to the detriment of the Mellieħa community.

(3) Immediate action by the Planning Authority, the Lands Authority and the Malta Tourism Authority is needed to enforce, strengthen and improve the current laws that regulate outdoor catering areas in public spaces in order to reduce abuse and ensure unobstructed, safe and public access.

In the absence of satisfactory action from the authorities, the activists and residents warned that they will have no choice but to continue carrying out further direct actions.

The groups that participated in the action are:
Moviment Graffitti
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Residenti Melliħin
Għaqda Residenti Slimiżi
Residenti Beltin
Marsaskala Residents Network
Residenti San Pawl il-Baħar

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Residenti u attivisti f’azzjoni simbolika kontra l-okkupazzjoni illegali mill-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet tad-db fil-Mellieħa

Bl-għajta “Tuna l-pjazza lura”, għadd ta’ attivisti u residenti okkupaw l-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet imqiegħda illegalment mid-db fil-pjazza ikonika tal-Mellieħa Misraħ iż-Żjara tal-Papa lejlet is-smigħ tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, fejn aktarx huwa mistenni li l-PA tagħti l-barka għall-illegalitajiet. Permezz ta’ din l-azzjoni simbolika, l-attivisti u r-residenti jridu jgħaddu messaġġ b’saħħtu kontra t-teħid tal-ispazji pubbliċi tagħna mill-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet li qed joħonqu t-toroq, il-bankini u l-pjazez tagħna u kontra l-abbuż iffaċilitat mill-impotenza tal-awtoritajiet tagħna.

Huma saħqu li l-pjazza hija tal-poplu, u għalhekk, huwa d-dritt tagħhom u tagħna lkoll li noħduha lura. Waqt din l-azzjoni simbolika huma stqarrew li ħadd m’għandu dritt jisraq l-ispazji pubbliċi tagħna, u li l-poplu għandu jedd jieħu lura dawn l-ispazji misruqa. Is-sitwazzjoni mwiergħa tas-serq ta’ spazji pubbliċi u l-abbuż li dan iġib miegħu qed jiġu ffaċilitati bil-kompliċità tal-awtoritajiet, fosthom l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, u l-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu, li skont l-attivisti mhuma xejn għajr pupazzi ta’ ċerti negozjanti għax qed jaħdmu attivament kontra l-interessi tal-poplu.

Kif juri tajjeb il-każ tal-pjazza fil-Mellieħa, li spiċċat ukoll vittma għall-fenomenu tar-regħba li ħakem pajjiżna, l-abbuż sfaċċat imwettaq mid-db ġie ffaċilitat, u huwa mistenni li jiġi ppremjat, mill-awtoritajiet li għamlu l-kutrumbajsi biex jaqdu lil tad-db. L-attivisti tennew li d-db qed joperaw mill-pjazza b’mod totalment illegali għax l-imwejjed, is-siġġijiet, l-umbrelel u l-istrutturi l-oħra li bihom okkupaw il-pjazza mhumiex koperti bil-permessi meħtieġa. Minflok ħadu azzjoni, l-awtoritajiet ikkonċernati firxu t-tapit l-aħmar lil tad-db biex ikomplu jagħmlu li jridu. Saħansitra l-Ombudsman stess ċanfar u widdeb lill-awtoritajiet rigward in-nuqqas t’azzjoni tagħhom f’dan il-każ, u b’inkredulità innota kif l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar qed tinkoraġġixxi lil min jikser il-liġi jkompli jagħmel li jrid għax min-naħa tagħha mhix biss ma tieħu l-ebda azzjoni, iżda tgħin lil min jikser il-liġi jevita milli jkollu jaffaċċja xi forma ta’ azzjoni. Dan joħroġ ċar hekk kif dakinhar stess li l-Ombudsman kien wissa lill-PA li kellha twaqqaf dan l-abbuż, tad-db applikaw biex il-PA tissanzjonalhom l-illegalitajiet.

L-iskiet itarrax tal-awtoritajiet u tal-Gvern quddiem dan kollu huwa inaċċettabbli. L-attivisti u r-residenti għalhekk ħassew li quddiem din l-inġustizzja ma kien jifdlilhom l-ebda għażla għajr li jwettqu azzjoni diretta u jokkupaw bi dritt l-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet li qed jokkupaw il-pjazza tal-poplu b’mod totalment illegali.

Huma qed jitolbu li:

(1) L-applikazzjoni (PA/06161/23) tad-db għas-sanzjonar ta’ strutturi mqiegħda illegalment fuq art pubblika tiġi kategorikament irrifjutata mill-PA fis-smigħ tal-Ġimgħa, 12 ta’ April.

(2) L-applikant għandu jiġi mġiegħel ineħħi l-istrutturi kollha li qiegħed fil-pjazza, jirritorna lura l-pjazza lill-poplu, u jħallas multi ħarxa għall-abbuż li dam sejjer 8 xhur b’detriment għall-komunità tal-Mellieħa.

(3) Jeħtieġ azzjoni immedjata mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet u l-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu biex jiġu infurzati bis-serjetà u msaħħa l-liġijiet attwali li jirregolaw l-operat ta’ ristoranti fuq art pubblika sabiex jonqos l-abbuż u jiġi żgurat l-aċċess ħieles u sigur għall-poplu.

Fin-nuqqas ta’ azzjoni sodisfaċenti min-naħa tal-awtoritajiet, l-attivisti u r-residenti wissew li mhu se jkollhom l-ebda għażla ħlief li jkomplu jwettqu azzjonijiet diretti oħra.

Il-gruppi li pparteċipaw f’din l-azzjoni huma:

Moviment Graffitti
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Residenti Melliħin
Għaqda Residenti Slimiżi
Residenti Beltin
Marsaskala Residents Network
Residenti San Pawl il-Baħar