Moviment Graffitti wear pig masks to protest at Gvern li Jisma’

‘New Water’ project explained in further detail

Moviment Graffitti carried out a direct action by standing with placards behind Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Konrad Mizzi during a Gvern li Jisma’ event held last night.

The protestors, wearing pig masks, went behind the speakers when they finished discussing the Marsa power station, as Minister Konrad Mizzi began to speak.

The NGO members held posters which created a striking backdrop for Minister Konrad Mizzi, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Roderick Galdes. The posters read ‘Public Land – valid only for the super rich – while stocks last’.

Addressing the presence of the protestors, Minister Mizzi told the circa 500-person crowd that “we have a free country, where everyone can speak their mind [..] however, I have no problem with defending this government’s track record.”

In a press statement, the group said “this action is being held to denounce the transfer of public land for private profits, particularly the shameful deal with the db Group (for the ITS site in St Julian’s).”

The NGO said that public land currently used for educational purposes, “with an estimated value of €212 million, was given to the db Group for the risible price of €15 million, for private development. Just imagine the sky-high profits the db Group will be harvesting from land that was once property of all Maltese citizens.” Moviment Graffitti said that government will also spend at least €75 million to relocate ITS to SmartCity.

“The €15 million will be paid over an eight-year period with a zero-interest rate. It seems that such interest-free ‘loans’ are only available to the super-rich. Most Maltese people have to pay, throughout the larger part of their lifetime, interest-laden loans just to be able to have a roof over their head.”

Moviment Graffitti said that “land, is being squandered so that a few people fatten their pockets. Both Nationalist and Labour administrations have given out swathes of public land for private interests – Tigne Point, Manoel Island, Żonqor etc.. Malta is being sold out to the super-rich.”

Despite the protests, Minister Mizzi spoke to a cheering crowd about the environment initiatives which the government has worked on throughout the years, mainly focusing on a “new water” initiative to create cleaner water from drainage water, which will create seven million litres of clean water per year, which he called a “revolution”.

Both Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes and Minister Mizzi spoke about the necessity of such a project after the drought which Malta experienced last year. Dr Mizzi stated the new water project will produce water of ‘high quality’ which will improve the situation which sees local farmers using ground water. Ground water, he said, is “always decreasing and becoming very salty; decreasing the value of products”. Plants in Mellieħa, the south of Malta and Gozo will be constructed to oxidise, treat and ultrafiltrate the drainage water. “The water will eventually be distributed through pipelines to distribution points and eventually through pipelines to farms,” Minister Mizzi explained.