The Planning Authority's decision to grant a permit to Sharlon Pace for 30 padel courts on archaeological remains on Manoel Island, 20 of which were built illegally, has cast the future of the whole island into serious doubt, NGOs said Thursday. By so blatantly reneging on its promise to return the entire MIDI concession to the people as a national park, and instead gifting a considerable part of it to the private business interests of Sharlon Pace, the government has placed the rest of this important public space under grave threat.
As the struggle for Manoel Island has shown time and again, people have the power to defend this unique and vital place for our collective wellbeing. They are now being called on to do so by attending the Żommu Kelmtkom (Keep Your Promise) protest this Friday, the NGOs said. This is a protest against the occupation of public space for profit though an illegal land-grab - the Manoel Island: Post Għalina campaign has always defended the Gżira football club's wishes for a football ground.
People will start gathering on Friday at 6pm at the entrance to Manoel Island. The protest will begin at 6.30pm with a number of very short speeches, followed by a walk ending near Fort Manoel, concluding with a swim.
Since Robert Abela's promise to turn Manoel island into a national park, there have been persistent rumours about private interests seeking to carve up different parts of Manoel Island, including rumours of a casino and a marina extension, the organisers said. Now that Sharlon Pace has been allowed to establish his private business on Manoel Island, these rumours have become even more alarming. At the same time, Fort Manoel is increasingly being used for large-scale commercial events that are incompatible with the vision of a community-centred tranquil park. The fear arising from these developments is clear: Manoel Island may end up being handed over, piece by piece, to different commercial interests pursuing private profit.
"We remind the public that the Government carried out a public consultation exercise on the future of Manoel Island with much fanfare and public relations spin. We ask: what became of the outcome of that process?" the statement said.
The Manoel Island: Post Għalina campaign also organised several workshops and public consultations on the future of Manoel Island, all of which reached the same clear conclusion: people want a space centred on community, accessibility and wellbeing. They do not want further commercialisation, particularly in an area that is already saturated with commercial activity.
"On Friday, we will not only call on the Government to stop Sharlon Pace's business from operating on public land at Manoel Island, but we will also demand full transparency and the development of a holistic plan that places the common good, environmental protection and social wellbeing at its core.
"We cannot afford to lose Manoel Island to the vultures of greed. It is now up to all of us to ensure that it truly belongs to the people once again," the NGOs said.