"We have been betrayed" NGOs said Friday as they protested against the Planning Authority decision to sanction illegal padel courts on Manoel Island following a protest organised by Moviment Graffitti on Friday evening.
During the demonstration, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar coordinator Astrid Vella vowed to fight the ruling all the way, criticising the decision to permit the development and fine the developer €25,000.
Another NGO, Din l-Art Ħelwa, has already expressed its intention to appeal the decision, saying the ruling was a "betrayal" of the government's promise to transform the island into a national park.
Activists condemned the move as a betrayal of promises to turn the area into a national park and warned it could jeopardise Malta's UNESCO ambitions for its historic fortifications. Speakers also accused the government of ignoring public petitions and failing to respect residents' wishes regarding the site's future.
Earlier this month, the Planning Authority sanctioned 20 padel courts illegally built on Manoel Island while granting permission for another 10 to be constructed. The decision sparked widespread anger from several environmental NGOs, who questioned the lack of heritage assessments and warned that the approval could carry perverse implications for the surrounding harbour area.
Vella described the nine-year battle against the developer as a David and Goliath struggle, noting that UNESCO has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with development around the historic zone as Malta seeks World Heritage status for its military architecture under the Knights of St John nomination dossier.
Vella explicitly stated that Prime Minister Robert Abela was ready to ignore international heritage bodies to satisfy developer interests.
Moviment Graffitti activist Joseph Florian echoed these sentiments during a live-streamed address, delivering a direct message to the administration. Florian noted that the government went against 30,000 people who signed a petition expecting the land to become a national park, a promise made to the entire electorate.
He stated that participants in the Manoel Island Post Ghalina campaign felt deeply disappointed and betrayed, arguing that the public was used like a Trojan Horse to remove the previous consortium only for new developers to step in.
Manoel Island and Fort Tigné were officially returned to the public in May after the government and MIDI signed a contract ending a concession handed to the consortium 26 years ago.
Despite these developments, protesters on Friday evening argued that the spirit of the public recovery is being compromised by commercial projects.
The NGOs remain determined to reverse the Planning Authority ruling through the legal appeal process, maintaining pressure on authorities to honour commitments for open green spaces on the island.