Machinery dismantled from Dingli after 2 day tense protest

Tensions heightened today for Moviment Graffiti’s second day of protesting at Dingli construction site. Accompanied by Dingli residents and farmers, the protesters closed off the entrance gate with barbed wire and logs, with some protesters even camping in the area to remain vigilant. Infrastructure Malta returned at 8am to resume work which lead to further encounters between the two groups.

✊ Qed jiżżarma l-makkinarju. Jidher li waqqafna x-xogħlijiet f’ Ħad-Dingli! Ix-xogħlijiet fuq it-triq li trid tinbena bla permess fuq ODZ waqfu imma t-triq li tagħti aċċess għal dawn ix-xogħlijiet għadha qed tiġi mblukkata. Grazzi lill-attivisti u residenti kollha li ssieħbu magħna fil-ġlieda kontra t-tifrik ambjentali.=======✊ The machinery is being dismantled. It looks like we have stopped the works in Dingli! The building works on the road without a permit on ODZ have stopped but the road that gives access to these works is still being blocked. Thank you to all the activists and residents who joined us in the fight against environmental destruction.

Posted by Moviment Graffitti on Tuesday, 23 March 2021

With live videos from the site showing heavy police presence to ensure safety, including due to COVID-19 mitigations, tensions heightened when one worker decided to cut into a log on which an activist was sitting with a chainsaw. Tents and carob trees were tossed aside as protesters demanded to see permits and even Minister Ian Borg. IM insists permission had been given as long as 30 trees were planted in compensation.

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