Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1499757
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 MAY 2023 8 INTERVIEW Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt 'Economic growth' does not mean Two weeks ago, Moviment Graffitti announced a protest – to be held next Saturday, 27 May – to "demand urgent en- vironmental and planning re- forms". Interestingly enough, however: just a couple of days earlier, the Prime Minister had revealed that he IS, in fact, planning to implement certain reforms in the planning sector. So is there any connection, between these two announce- ments? Is next Saturday's protest an 'answer', of sorts, to Robert Abela's Labour Day speech? No, there is no 'connection', really. In fact, we had been plan- ning this protest for months before we actually announced it. Even because it is a slightly different protest, from the ones we usually organise. Most of our past demonstrations have been about specific projects, in specific localities – such as the one against the yacht marina in Marsaskala, for instance; or the DB project in St George's Bay – and in those cases, it tends to be a lot easier for the wider public to engage. There will be people (not least, the residents them- selves) who will feel a special 'connection' to those localities; and who will therefore be more motivated, to actually go out and protest... The national demonstration we are holding next Saturday, on the other hand, is slightly more difficult. We are not talk- ing about any specific 'place', this time: and there is no 'single issue' that can serve as a focal point for all the public's anger. This time round, we are protesting – on a national level - against the root of the entire problem itself: i.e., the legal/policy structures, that make all those projects possible in the first place. So our approach had to be a lit- tle different, too. For one thing, we opened the event up to other organisations - in fact, there are around 50 different NGOs tak- ing part – and naturally, there was a lot of planning, and co-or- dination, that needed to take place. We have also been hold- ing meetings with all the various residents' groups, that we have been working with over the past few years... Even the fact that we an- nounced the protest so early – on May 3: three weeks be- forehand - is a little unusual. Normally, we would announce it closer to the date itself. But there was a lot more preparation in- volved, this time... and for us, the preparation is arguably just as important, as the protest itself. So no: it was a coincidence that the Prime Minister said what he said, in that speech. But I'd be happy to comment about it all the same, if you like... I'd like that, if you don't mind. In fact, let me rephrase the question: if Moviment Graffiti was not responding to Robert Abela... could it be the other way around? Do you think that Abela made that (admittedly vague) promise of 'planning reforms', in reaction to all the pressure you yourselves have been exerting? I think he is reacting, not just to us... but to the widespread sensa- tion of anger, and exasperation, which can now be felt all over the country. If there's one thing that people living in Malta and Gozo are increasingly feeling an- gry and upset about, it's the envi- ronment. And I don't just mean 'the environment' in a purely abstract sense; I mean it in the most tangible, and practical way possible. Literally, the 'places where people live'; and what people 'feel, live and breathe', every day of their lives.... And this sensation is not some- thing that Robert Abela, or the government in general, can light- ly afford to ignore. It's there; and it's also being felt by – among others - the Labour Party's own constituents. It is, in fact, one of their most pressing concerns, at the moment. So the government HAS to re- act to it, in one way or another. Even because – apart from all the widespread frustration felt by the people – there has also been an increase in organised civil society action, in recent years. Many of the various resi- dents' associations, community groups, and NGOs, have now come together and organised themselves, so as to translate all this 'anger' – all this 'grumbling', as it were - into action. And that made a big differ- ence. Because as long as the peo- ple's reaction was limited to just 'grumbling'... government could always simply ignore it, and car- ry on. But when the people unite, and become more organised: they become a 'force to be reck- oned with'. This is why, on one level, it is a positive thing that the Prime Minister acknowledged the is- sue in his Labour Day speech. It shows us that he IS feeling the public pressure... Meanwhile, there are other indications that government is feeling this pressure. A few days ago, Environment Minis- ter Clayton Bartolo announced that 'deckchairs at the Blue La- goon will be reduced by 65%, by this summer'. If I'm not mis- taken, that is precisely what Graffitti had demanded, when taking civil action at Comino last year... More or less. What we de- manded, with specific regard to deckchairs, was that they don't take up more than one third of the available space. So yes: what Clayton Bartolo is now propos- ing, is line with our demands... Doesn't it also mean, however, that you actually 'got what you wanted', in that scenario? And if so: how would you respond if – for argument's sake – the government were to turn to you, and say: "Look: we're do- ing all the things you asked us to do, aren't we? So why are you even protesting, at all?" Well, let me start with this. We might have 'got what we want- ed', with regard to deckchairs at the Blue Lagoon. But it doesn't mean the battle for Comino has been won. Far from it... First of all, our demands went far beyond just the issue of deck- chairs, alone. And the rest of them haven't been addressed, yet: for instance, that the number of enormous kiosks – all playing loud music – is also reduced. It might sound like ' just another environmental protest': but Moviment Graffitti activist ANDRE CALLUS argues that next Saturday's demonstration is about more than just 'the environment', this time