Protestor calls off ‘hunger strike’ after meeting Prime Minister over noisy St George’s Bay bar

Dean Camilleri, a 31-year old environmental engineering student who lives in Pembroke, started a hunger strike on Tuesday morning to protest what he claims was a refusal by local authorities to enforce the laws of the country over noise from a bar located on St George's Bay.

Camilleri, who lives close to St. George’s Bay said that in the summer of 2015 a number of establishments around the bay decided to turn the entire area into ‘one big night club,’ playing loud music till the early hours of the morning.

“The situation is unacceptable. It is not right for people to have to feel like they are in a nightclub when they are in their own home,” said Camilleri.

At 11:30am, Camilleri informed the press that he had met Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and called off his hunger strike.

“I was well received by the PM and he listened thoroughly to the problems we are facing here in Pembroke. I was told that action will be taken in this regard. As such, for the time being I am calling off my hunger strike and will be awaiting to see if the situation will improve.”

A government spokesperson confirmed that Joseph Muscat had called in Camilleri for a meeting, adding that the prime minister wanted decisive action to be taken immediately.

The level and duration of noise, Camilleri said, is at its worst in the summer months however it is not much better in winter. “It’s a problem every day. Weekends are obviously a lot worse but I’m constantly on the phone with the police and more often than not nothing happens.”

Over the course of the last year Camilleri said he had tried to get his message across through a number of channels, speaking to a number of ministers as well as the Prime Minister, however the most he was told was that a law on noise pollution is in the pipeline. “I think it is obviously good for there to be a law to prevent these things from occurring however we cannot wait for months or years until this law is enforced. We have a right to live in peace now,” he said.

Camilleri said he would be staging his hunger strike every day till 2:00pm in front of Castille after which he will continue at his own personal residence and plans to keep it up until something is done to solve the problem.