‘No Pavements, No Vote’: Stickers Around Malta Protest ‘Siege’ Of Tables And Chairs
Stickers have been plastered across public spaces around Malta in protest against the “rampant” take-up of public land by restaurants’ tables and chairs.
The stickers, which were placed in Valletta, Sliema, Mellieħa, Marsaskala and Buġibba, read ‘No Pavements, No Vote’ and ‘Il-Bankini taċ-Ċittadini’ (pavements belong to citizens).
Pressure group Moviment Graffitti warned that residents are concerned that their streets and squares are being “besieged by unrestrained commerce” and want to pass on a strong, visible and direct message to the authorities.
“The invasion of our streets, pavements and squares by catering establishments has exceeded all limits,” Graffitti said.
“The concerned authorities, namely the Planning Authority, the Lands Authority and the Malta Tourism Authority, refuse to take responsibility for the chaos that plagues the most affected localities and the great inconvenience that this creates to residents.”
“The basic right of residents to safe and unobstructed public access in public spaces keeps being trampled on.”
“This cannot be allowed to go on. The Government must act and start prioritising the interests of the people over private interests. Give us back our pavements, streets and squares.”
A protest took place in Valletta last weekend against the “invasion of public spaces by the private sector”.
It came days after Lovin Malta published two separate video clips on the matter, the first of which featured popular journalist and activist Peppi Azzopardi saying he’s frequently taken a stand by sitting down at outdoor restaurant tables without ordering and refusing to budge when ordered to do so.
He finished off by saying we all have to power to do things like this, and encouraged others to do the same.
Then, days later, prominent journalist Mark Laurence Zammit echoed his sentiments during the retelling of a surreal scene where he had to was forced to jostle dining tourists to make his way to his grandmother’s funeral.
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