[WATCH] Large crowd attends environment rally

Large crowds of environmentalists gathered in Valletta this morning to participate in a protest march for the environment.

The demonstration was originally planned for last week, but was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions.  However, this morning hundreds of people braved the cold temperature and marched down Republic Street, Valletta holding placards and banners.

A number of politicians were present, including Opposition MPs Charlo Bonnici and Jason Azzopardi while as expected Alternattiva Demokratika had a strong presence with Green Party leaders Arnold Cassola and Carmel Cacopardo leading the line.

Themed under the logo 'For our children, their children, and their children's children', the march was being held as a protest against what the environmentalists perceive as a culture of overdevelopment in Malta, whilst little consideration was being given to the environment by the relevant authorities.

The crowd began to congregate on the city bridge as early as 10am with the march starting three quarters of an hour later. Many people were holding aloft banners portraying various messages such 'Hands off the countryside' and 'The environment is our children's health'.

The crowd made its way along Republic Street to the sound of drumming by members of popular band Tribali, stopping outside the law courts.

It was at this point that various NGO representatives made their messages clear.

Simone Mizzi, from din l-Art Helwa, was the first on the podium where she said that government seemed unconcerned with the environment and all it offers, claiming that it served only as ‘a source of money’ for politicians.

Mizzi also described the recently-granted project at Mistra as “monstrous” claiming that it was “conceived by one government and given birth by another”.

In fact, the controversial granting of a permit by MEPA for the redevelopment of a mega complex on Mistra ridge at the end of October, was widely regarded to be the catalyst for the protest.

 “The Law is not protecting the environment as it should and the recent case of the 700 apartments in Mistra is a clear example of the abuse that is taking place, where the planning authority’s laws are being broken,” she said.

"We do not want our children and their children growing up in a cement-filled world," she said, whilst urging government to not allow these words fall on “hearts of cement”.

Astrid Vella from Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar said that people were "fed up of all the lies" which government was spreading.

"We are all sick of hearing whether we need to build horizontally or vertically. The truth is that we do not need to build at all!" she said, pointing out the fact that there are 40,000 vacant properties which can be found in Malta.

She said that environmentalists, contrary to popular belief, were not against progress but it had to be sustainable.

“We are in favour of responsible progress and development, which is far from what we are getting at the moment,” she said.

Chris Mizzi of Graffiti said that "political parties, in times of campaigning market themselves out to be greener than the green activists, and when in government, bigger developers than the developers themselves".

"If they are afraid that they will lose votes to developers, well they will need to realise that our votes count just as much," he said, amidst callings from the crowd that 'it's because we do not have money' that their vote seemingly counts for less.

A spokesperson from Youth for the Environment said that Malta was losing much of its green and open spaces to developers and that this was a concern because the less contact and access people have to nature, the less they could care for it.

This week, the NGOs upped the ante, by calling for the resignation of the MEPA board following the publication of a damning report by the Commissioner for the Environment and Planning, which held that the outline permit granted by MEPA in 2008 could have been revoked and the decision not do so was illegally taken behind closed doors by the current board.

Yesterday, the NGOs published an Environment Manifesto which outlines the "the planning and environmental reform that Malta really needs."

The NGOs explained that in opposition to a reform favouring further unsustainable development, the manifesto outlines what must be done to protect the country's heritage, countryside and residents.

"The proposals will lead to more transparent regulating authorities, empower the public, guarantee public access and secure our health and quality of life. Through this programme, the NGOs demand that the common good be respected instead of it continuing to be trampled upon by powerful private interests."

The NGOs that took part in the protest include Birdlife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Gaia Foundation, Greenhouse Malta, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, Moviment Graffitti, NatureTrust Malta, Ramblers Malta, Y4TE, and Why Not?