A sit-down “Save Gozo” protest was held on Sunday morning in Victoria, Gozo, to raise awareness of the burning issue of overdevelopment which is threatening the island.
The Save Gozo protest was organised by Gozitan citizens who want to preserve the heritage, quality of life and character of Gozo, with the support of Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA).
The group said that “this is in response to the authorities’ lack of protection of Gozo’s heritage, ignoring of basic principles of urban planning, as well as almost non-existent enforcement.”
The grassroots group said that it aims to empower Gozitans to “stand up for their rights to a decent quality of life and environment, both of which are being rapidly eroded by rampant overdevelopment of the island’s beautiful landscapes and villages.”
They stated that “Gozitans are alarmed by what can only be seen as an unremitting pro-development stance taken by the Planning and Environment authorities when they should be fulfilling their roles of protecting heritage and the environment whilst keeping ODZ lands safe.”
In recent months, the Mayors of Gozo united and spoke up against the status quo, however it is essential to keep these issues in the forefront of the public’s awareness, the group said.
They argued that “Gozo’s citizens need development to be sustainable and respectful whilst preserving the unique cultural and natural heritage of the tiny island.”
The organisers want to “empower residents to stand up publicly for their rights without fear to make demands of their authorities,” saying, “a fantastic group of people, of all ages, came together to express how much they love Gozo and how much they deplore its desecration. Gozo needs to be protected for future generations and not treated simply as a cash cow for developers.”
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar maintained that “much of Malta has already been ruined by the uglification that the Authorities have promoted through damaging policies which they refuse to rescind.”
FAA concluded by saying that “the uglification is now spreading to Gozo with all its impacts of toxic pollution, wholesale destruction of heritage buildings and landscapes and erosion of quality of life. We need to stop this now!”