Today, activists from Moviment Graffitti and FAA joined forces with different residents’ groups, including the Sliema Residents Association, the Valletta Residents, the Marsascala Residents Network, Mellieħa Residents, San Pawl il-Baħar Residents and Azzjoni Tuna Artna Lura – Kottonera, to jointly launch the Il-Bankini taċ-Ċittadini campaign.

During the Press Conference intended to officially launch the campaign, residents and activists explained the great difficulties they are experiencing in various localities across Malta and Gozo, due to the take-up of public land by unrestrained commerce. This led them to form a coalition to press the authorities to take action. Their objective is that the interests of common citizens are safeguarded from the rule of private interests, which is spreading and gobbling up our open spaces at an alarming rate.

The choice of Merchants Street as the site of the Press Conference was a symbolic one: Merchants Street is a testament to how the lack of serious enforcement and regulation by the authorities has caused this road to be almost completely swallowed up by catering establishments — with the road becoming a maze of tables, chairs, tents and other structures — and making it almost impossible for people to walk comfortably.

Residents and activists explained how they are not anti-business, but stressed that it is clear that in recent years the balance between business and people’s well-being has shifted completely towards business interests. This imbalance can be felt and seen in places such as the Sliema, Gżira and Marsaskala seafronts, where sidewalks have been completely taken up by catering establishments that day by day continue to extend their business operations on public land, making it impossible for residents to walk on sidewalks. A frustrated Sliema resident had to resort to applying for an encroachment concession to return the pavement to public use after Michael Stivala had completely occupied the road and pavement area illegally. The consequences of the lack of regulation on the occupation of public land by the catering industry are also felt by the Valletta residents, who claim that they feel almost forced out of their homes to make way for business.

This problem is symptomatic of the mess that are our authorities, in this case the Planning Authority, the Lands Authority, and the Malta Tourism Authority, whose loyalty lies with business interests and seem more intent on facilitating abuse rather than enforce the law. The total lack of enforcement can be seen in places such as Buġibba, where the authorities have allowed the db Group to do as it pleases and seize a substantial part of the coast illegally. The same thing happened in Mellieħa, where the same db Group decided to occupy the Mellieħa square with tables and chairs without having the necessary permits to do so. The deafening silence on the part of the authorities has led residents to come together to fight for their right to free, safe, and unhindered public access. Activists and residents have worked on a policy document, which they presented during the Press Conference, with a number of demands and proposals that are being officially sent to the concerned authorities for the situation to be seriously addressed.

Among their demands, they are asking for:

1. Review of Legislation: the current OCAs policy needs to be revised, strengthened and enforced;

2. Release of Information: there needs to be transparency in the way permits are granted, especially by the Lands Authority;

3. Right of Action: a right of action should be introduced giving any person the right to sue for the revocation of any encroachment granted in the event that any permit conditions are breached.

The residents and activists reiterated that it is time for the interests of common citizens to be given priority. They stressed that if the authorities continue to ignore their pleas for action, more residents will continue to come together to fight for their rights.

******

Residenti u attivisti jingħaqdu f’għajta waħda kontra t-teħid bla kontroll tal-ispazji pubbliċi mill-interessi tal-kummerċ

Attivisti mill-Moviment Graffitti u l-FAA llum ingħaqdu ma’ gruppi ta’ residenti differenti, fosthom l-Għaqda Residenti Slimiżi, ir-Residenti Beltin, il-Marsaskala Residents Network, ir-Residenti Melliħin, Residenti minn San Pawl il-Baħar u Azzjoni Tuna Artna Lura – Kottonera, biex flimkien iniedu l-kampanja Il-Bankini taċ-Ċittadini.

Waqt il-Konferenza Stampa li serviet bħala t-tnedija uffiċjali ta’ din il-kampanja, ir-residenti u l-attivisti spjegaw is-sitwazzjoni eżasperanti li qed jesperjenzaw bosta lokalitajiet madwar Malta u Għawdex. L-invażjoni tal-ispazji pubbliċi mill-kummerċ bla rażan wasslithom biex jiffurmaw koalizzjoni bejniethom sabiex joħolqu pressjoni fuq l-awtoritajiet. Dan sabiex l-interessi taċ-ċittadini komuni jiġu mħarsa mill-interessi privati, li kulma jmur qed ikomplu jaħtfu kull rokna ta’ spazju miftuħ f’pajjiżna.

L-għażla ta’ Triq il-Merkanti bħala s-sit tal-Konferenza Stampa kienet waħda simbolika: Triq il-Merkanti hija xhieda ta’ kif in-nuqqas ta’ infurzar u regolamentazzjoni serji mill-awtoritajiet wassal biex din it-triq inbelgħet kważi għalkollox mill-interessi privati u spiċċat labirint ta’ mwejjed, siġġijiet, tined u strutturi oħra li jagħmluha kważi impossibbli biex in-nies jimxu b’kumdità.

Ir-residenti u l-attivisti spjegaw kif huma mhumiex kontra l-kummerċ, iżda saħqu li huwa ċar li f’dawn l-aħħar snin il-bilanċ li tant jisħqu fuqu l-awtoritajiet bejn il-kummerċ u l-benesseri tal-komunità xaqleb kompletament lejn l-interessi tal-kummerċ. Dan l-iżbilanċ jinħass b’mod tanġibbli ħafna f’postijiet bħax-xatt ta’ Tas-Sliema, il-Gżira u Wied il-Għajn, fejn il-bankini nħatfu kompletament mill-istabbilimenti li ġurnata b’ġurnata qed ikomplu jestendu l-operat tagħhom fuq art pubblika, tant li saret impossibbli għar-residenti li jimxu fuq il-bankini. Residenta f’Tas-Sliema kellha tirrikorri għall-pass assurd li tapplika biex “tikri” il-bankina hi stess għax kienet ittieħdet kompletament u illegalment minn Michael Stivala. Il-konsegwenzi tan-nuqqas ta’ regolamentazzjoni fuq l-operat tal-kummerċ fuq art pubblika qed iħossuhom ukoll ir-residenti Beltin, li jistqarru li qed iħossuhom kważi qed jiġu mkeċċija minn djarhom biex jagħmlu post għall-kummerċ.

Din il-problema hija sintomatika tal-ineffettività tal-awtoritajiet tagħna, f’dan il-każ tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, u l-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu, li iktar jinteressahom jaqdu lil ċerti gruppi ta’ negozjanti u jiffaċilitaw l-abbuż milli jinfurzaw il-liġijiet. In-nuqqas totali ta’ infurzar narawh f’postijiet bħall-Buġibba, fejn id-db Group ħatfu parti sostanzjali mill-kosta illegalment mingħajr ebda intervent min-naħa tal-awtoritajiet. L-istess seħħ fil-Mellieħa, fejn l-istess db Group iddeċieda li jokkupa l-pjazza tal-Mellieħa bl-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet mingħajr ma kellu ebda permess biex jagħmel dan.

Is-skiet itarrax min-naħa tal-awtoritajiet quddiem dan kollu wassal lir-residenti biex jingħaqdu flimkien sabiex jiġġieldu għad-dritt tagħhom li jgawdu l-ispazji pubbliċi bla xkiel. L-attivisti u r-residenti ħadmu fuq dokument li ppreżentaw waqt din il-Konferenza Stampa, b’għadd ta’ talbiet u proposti li qed jintbagħtu uffiċjalment lill-awtoritajiet konċernati sabiex din is-sitwazzjoni tiġi indirizzata bis-serjetà.

Fost it-talbiet tagħhom, huma qed jitolbu għal:

1. Reviżjoni tal-Liġi: jeħtieġ li tiġi riveduta, imsaħħa u infurzata l-politika dwar l-OCAs attwali;

2. Rilaxx tal-Informazzjoni: jeħtieġ li jkun hemm trasparenza fil-mod kif jingħataw il-permessi, speċjalment mill-Awtorità tal-Artijiet;

3. Rikors għal Azzjoni: kull ċittadin għandu jkollu d-dritt li jieħu azzjoni u jitlob għar-revoka ta’ permess ta’ okkupazzjoni ta’ art pubblika fejn il-kundizzjonijiet tal-permess ikunu nkisru.

Ir-residenti u l-attivisti tennew li wasal iż-żmien biex l-interessi tal-komunità jibdew jiġu mħarsa bis-serjetà. Saħqu li jekk l-awtoritajiet se jkomplu jinjoraw it-talbiet tagħhom, aktar residenti se jkomplu jingħaqdu flimkien biex jiġġieldu għad-drittijiet tagħhom.