PM meets planning protesters camped outside parliament

Robert Abela has met with protesters camping outside parliament as part of a sit-in demonstration against controversial planning reform.

The prime minister held an impromptu half-hour discussion with activists from the Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign on Monday afternoon.

An OPM spokesperson said the "cordial" meeting was a "gesture of goodwill" and was not a bid to deter the activists from their protest as they campaign for two planning bills to be withdrawn. 

Moviment Graffitti and Gustizzja Għal Artna activist Andre Callus told Times of Malta that the prime minister "assured us that the laws will be substantially revised and discussed with us.” However Callus said that until there is “tangible change,” they will continue their fight against the bills.

"We still do not know what these changes will entail, and we cannot see how such harmful laws can be improved.”

Barricades ahead of Budget

Earlier police could be seen adding barricades around parliament hours ahead of the budget.

On Monday morning, as the Gustizzja Għal Artna campaign sit-in continued, officers arrived on site and installed additional barriers between the protest camp and the parliamentary entrance, adding to the barricades already in place.

The protest saw participants teleworking from the site and distributing flyers about the government’s proposed planning reform bills.

Activists set up camp on Sunday to protest two planning reform bills they claim were designed to benefit developers at the public’s expense. The action comes ahead of the annual budget and is part of a broader campaign to have the legislation withdrawn.

Moviment Graffitti and Gustizzja Għal Artna activist Andre Callus said the protestors had no faith in the government’s stated willingness to discuss changes to the proposed planning laws.

“So far, we don’t have faith in these discussions,” Callus said. “All they have said is that there is nothing set in stone and things could change. But what does that mean? What can change? We don’t know.”

Callus said trust was difficult to achieve, given the bills being quietly introduced in parliament by the government shortly before the start of the summer recess. 

“We find it very difficult to have faith when the bills were made with bad intentions to begin with,” he said, adding that the only way for faith to be restored was to withdraw the bills and restart the process.

He stressed that activists were not opposed to dialogue and had in fact been calling for it for years, only to be ignored.

“But now they said they want to speak, and we are always open for discussion, so we went to a meeting and always said the same thing, which is that these bills should be revoked, but we haven’t managed to get anywhere with them, so far.”

Callus said the government had shown no willingness to compromise. “So far, all there has been are empty words.”

Protestors are calling on the government to withdraw Bills 143 and 144, and a legal notice published last summer, which it tabled as part of a planned overhaul of Malta’s planning system.

The government has said the proposed changes are intended to streamline procedures, increase efficiency and strengthen enforcement.

But campaigners behind Gustizzja Għal Artna have rejected this, saying the reforms amount to a “developers’ wishlist” that would further weaken public input and environmental protection in planning decisions.

Mixed reactions

As Times of Malta visited the site on Monday morning, tourists appeared puzzled by the protest campsite while police continued placing barricades.

Some locals thanked the protesters, telling them they would join the demonstration after work. Others expressed frustration, muttering insults or criticising the presence of tents in front of parliament.

Online reaction was similarly divided; some users praised the activists for taking a stand. Others questioned whether they had a permit and dismissed the protest as a provocation rather than a legitimate expression of dissent.

The demonstration continued on Monday morning, drawing mixed reactions. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

Callus remained measured in his response to critics.

“I get it. They have a loyalty to the party that is in government. I get that sentiment. You have loyalty to an organisation and you might not be able to see beyond it,” he said. “I invite these people to think about what we are saying.”

He said the campaign had received “immense positive feedback”, which he believed showed that the public “overwhelmingly understand the situation at hand”.

The demonstration is scheduled to begin at 5.30pm in front of the law courts and proceed towards parliament — timed to coincide with MPs gathering for the start of the budget speech.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Robert Abela told Times of Malta that the government would not be withdrawing the proposed planning laws, but said discussions would continue to explore “reasonable and balanced” improvements.