A socially-distanced protest held by residents of Sliema and St Julian’s called for a better quality of life and less commercial development in their neighbourhoods. 

Residents took to Sliema promenade outside Preluna with signs and banners expressing their discontent with the proliferation of high rise buildings in the area, which they claimed has undermined their health and quality of life.

“How can they continue to increase the number of people and buildings without reducing the utilities, without taking care of the drainage problems, the streets and the council budgets,” a protestor said.

Residents also called for the Planning Authority to undertake a carrying-capacity study of the area before issuing more permits for commercial projects. 

The protest was supported by NGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) and Moviment Graffitti along with the Sliema and Gzira Local Councils.

In addition to the threat of high-rise buildings, protestors also called for a revision of sanitary laws and more accessibility to public pavements and roads which have been encroached by restaurants, bars and cafes over the past few years.

In October, residents complained about a stream of contaminated water that emanated from Independence Gardens in Sliema. To this day, government authorities haven’t been able to identify where the slime originated from.

Today’s protest comes following a proposal to transform a residential block into a 13-storey hotel in Milner Street. 

“Sliema has taken the brunt of the overheated development sector, with the PA issuing permits for 2,300 residential units in Sliema alone from 2013-2019, 70 of which were for hotels and guesthouses.

“This is now causing outrage as 13-storey hotels darken residential side-streets and pollution from emissions trapped in narrow streets is undermining residents’ health,” the FAA said in a press release.

Tag someone who attended today’s protest