Moviment Graffitti has invited the public to an open forum ahead of a planned protest in September against uncontrolled construction, allowing citizens to put forward proposals that will form the basis of the demonstration.
The activist group said the public forum will lead to the drafting of a set of “reasonable demands” that would be presented to the authorities after the September 7 protest in Valletta.
“We believe that residents and citizens should participate actively in improving their own situation, instead of merely voting once every five years and resorting to Facebook,” Moviment Graffitti activist Wayne Flask told Times of Malta.
“This public forum is the opportunity for many to voice their concerns about the situation brought about by excessive construction, and forward their proposals about the six main areas we’re tackling in the protest.
“We’re hoping residents from all over the islands will come up with ideas and solutions.”
The group has said the forum is “strictly reserved to those who have no means of making their voices heard during five years of legislature” and that “Members of Parliament are not welcome”.
It will take place next Wednesday at 7pm, at Friends of the Earth, in Floriana.
Next month’s protest, with the tagline ‘Iż-żejjed kollu żejjed’ [‘Enough is enough’] has so far been endorsed by 52 organisations, including residents’ groups formed in response to recent controversial developments in Pembroke, Attard and Żejtun, among others.
Its stated targets are planning policies and their “lack of respect towards citizens”, the authorities responsible for planning and the environment, large-scale construction projects, roads and transportation, the regularisation of the construction industry, air quality and biodiversity.
Protesters plan to meet outside the law courts at 10am on September 7.
People attending have been urged to bring placards.
Moviment Graffitti’s last protest dates back to June, when the group led a march in Guardamangia which ended outside the Malta Developers Association’s offices.
That protest was centred on the construction sector and came in reaction to a series of building collapses.