‘Bennejjavirus’: An Angry Malta Comes To Terms With Yesterday’s Horrific Ħamrun Tragedy
Silence rarely follows a tragedy in Malta. But with yesterday’s fatal end to a building collapse in Ħamrun marking the fourth time such a case has happened in the last year alone, many people are clearly unwilling to accept this without voicing their rage online.
“It’s ironic,” one Facebook post noted. “All that panic buying: all that chaos, all that stocking up on face masks, alcohol hand rub, toilet paper, pasta, long-life milk… due to coronavirus; yet it wasn’t coronavirus that has claimed it’s first victim. It was developers that killed a woman in cold blood.”
“Whatever next for poor little Malta?” illustrator Momus lamented, with another post by Henry Abela going viral for showing the shocking difference between the site’s previous greenery being turned into yellow, white and tragic.
“Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” a sarcastic meme poignantly put it. “Kill people in their homes instead.”
“You took it ALL away from us,” activist and former MEP candidate Camilla Appelgren posted on Facebook earlier today.
“Nothing will bring Miriam back, but let’s end this “success” story here and now and start working for a REAL success,” Appelgren continued, calling for the end of further construction.
“We don’t need anything but environment to be safeguarded at this point,” she said, sharing a photo of MDA President Sandro along with a quote of his on “accidents” from 2019 that definitely didn’t age well.
“Enough is enough. Money means NOTHING when we have nothing left to enjoy,” Appelgren finished.
Beyond construction in residential areas however, other large-scale projects like the Gozo tunnel one were soon brought back into the limelight.
“One question lingers,” popular designer Luke Azzopardi said. “Who still wants the Gozo tunnel? This is what we have to work with. These are the people lobbying for it. Its sole purpose is help greed spread like wildfire.”
“What took place yesterday is profoundly significant – and it could change everything,” Azzopardi finished, with many completely agreeing with him and hoping the same. “Makes you wonder how many people would die whilst they dig the tunnel,” another comment continued.
But while a tragedy like yesterday’s is bound to anger people, others couldn’t help but see an all-too-familiar pattern forming right before their eyes.
“Malta in a nutshell,” a meme that went viral overnight pointed out.
Tracing the way every single tragedy seems to go, the image portrays an endless loop of accidents, thoughts and prayers, Facebook debates… until everyone forgets everything and another accident happens all over again.
What do you make of this latest tragedy to hit Malta?
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