Bastion squatters protest loudly during eviction

Squatters of a couple of rooms in an area known as St Michael's Bastions, near Biagio Steps, Valletta, were evicted in a rowdy operation.

Land Department officials led the operation on Thursday, assisted by the Public Works Division, Enemalta and the government vet, along with the Valletta police.

All sorts of things were found in the rooms, ranging from cages and carts to furniture and machinery. One of the rooms was being used as a mechanic's workshop, in which a dismantled car was being sprayed.

The team demolished a room that had been built illegally. The other rooms form part of the bastion structure.

Verbal abuse was hurled at workers and at a timesofmalta. com cameraman, with the police having to intervene.

The premises were handed over to the Restoration Unit so that restoration on that section of the bastions can get underway. The works form part of an EU-funded project to restore six kilometres of bastions in Valletta, Cottonera, Mdina and the Citadel in Gozo.

The enforcement action was the last in a series at the Valletta bastions. Similar action was carried out last week.