‘The People Are Rising’: What Went Down At Today’s Valletta Protest
‘Iż-Żejjed Kollu Żejjed’, the protest against Malta’s over development, organised by Moviment Graffitti saw thousands of protesters march towards Parliament in Valletta this morning
Crowds amassed outside the law courts this morning at 10am, with the march kicking off half an hour later. Moviment Graffitti estimate the final turnout to have hit around 3000, and with MPs being banned from attending the day’s events.
Newcomers to the socio-political scene, Extinction Rebellion, were there to join in with the protest
Steve Zammit Lupi also gave a speech about his genuineness in politics
“I couldn’t do much about the shocking things that were committed in the past because I was a little boy. I ask the people who raise these questions: ‘Where were you back then and where are you now?’”
The streets were filled with people from all walks of life, all banding together in solidarity against Malta’s haphazard development that has taken over the public conversation recently
Janet Walker, the woman who lost her home recently after a wall collapsed, lead the march alongside members of Moviment Graffitti
She was evicted, along with her family and five others, from their homes after the wall of the flat below her own collapsed due to shoddy workmanship from the contractor working on the building site next door.
The protest closed off with a number of speeches from those supporting the cause and from those who were affected by the construction debacle
Anthea Brincat, another woman who was evicted from her Pieta home, was on stage as well, telling the crowd how her “fundamental rights were broken and we were left without a response for six days until the Housing Authority stepped in.”
Andre Callus closed off the day’s talks, thanking everyone in attendance
He was heard telling the crowds that people were rising, “this is the beginning of a movement against the greed of developers.”