Updated at 4.30pm

Activists behind a symbolic demonstration against the destruction of trees in Santa Lucija on Saturday morning were met with insults as they tried to highlight the damage to the environment. 

Sasha Vella, who organised last Sunday's mass demonstration against the Central Link project, said the activists were met with aggressive workmen and passers-by as they arrived on site.

Around 300 trees along a one-kilometre stretch between Addolorata Cemetery Hill and Santa Luċija are facing the chop to make way for a €20 million underpass project.

Ms Vella was among those who placed black crosses on trees, signalling the fate of the area.

"It symbolises a cemetery. That's how it feels like," she told Times of Malta behind a fence, which she claimed was erected by workmen to keep them away from the site. 

"People were shouting against us, shouting profanities. This one man called me 'ugly' - what does this have to do with us teenagers who want to save our environment," Ms Vella asked, adding that she had been at the receiving end of several insults since she started her campaign. 

The protesters said it was pitiful to hear and see negative comments from people who fail to see the bigger picture. 

A first batch of trees due to be axed were marked in recent days with a green cross sprayed on the trunk. Furthermore, works have already started to uproot a further 250 trees in the same area, albeit in an attempt to transplant them elsewhere.

PN, PD slam Labour 

Both the Nationalist Party and Democratic Party linked the abuse hurled towards the activists to the ruling Labour government. 

While the PN said that people "close to" the Labour Party had been formenting online hatred and anger towards people protesting, the PD said that the government had a duty to ensure that public sector workers behaved correctly while at work.

"The government has a responsibility to enforcing ethical standards of behaviour for those it employs, whether directly or indirectly. Activists expressing their democratic right to protest should be respected." said PD MP Godfrey Farrugia.

Tim Grech, Sasha Vella and Ruby Zammit. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

In its own statement, the PN said the government had tricked Santa Luċija residents by inaugurated a jogging track and open air gym in the town in May 2017 at a cost of €90,000, only to submit an application to build an underpass at Tal-Barrani and destroy this a few months later.

The Nationalist Party said it wanted sustainable development but the people were being made to pay for the government’s arrogance.