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. 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. 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. 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 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.

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Insejħu lill-poplu biex jiddefendi lil Manoel Island wara li d-deċiżjoni dwar il-padel courts heddet il-futur tiegħu

Id-deċiżjoni tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li toħroġ il-permess lil Sharlon Pace għal 30 padel court fuq fdalijiet arkeoloġiċi f’Manoel Island, li 20 minnhom kienu nbnew illegalment, xeħtet dubji serji fuq il-futur tal-gżira. Billi b’mod tant sfaċċat mar lura mill-wegħda tiegħu li jieħu lura Manoel Island mingħand il-MIDI u jroddha lura lill-poplu bħala park nazzjonali, u minflok ta parti sostanzjali minnha biex jaqdi l-interessi kummerċjali privati ta’ Sharlon Pace, il-Gvern ħoloq theddida serja għall-bqija ta’ dan l-ispazju pubbliku tant importanti.

Kif uriet il-ġlieda biex insalvaw lil Manoel Island għal darba darbtejn, in-nies għandhom is-setgħa jiddefendu dan il-post uniku u essenzjali għall-ġid kollettiv tagħna. Issa qed jiġu msejħa jerġgħu jagħmlu dan billi jattendu għall-protesta Żommu Kelmtkom li se ssir nhar il-Ġimgħa li ġej. Din hija protesta kontra l-okkupazzjoni ta’ spazju pubbliku għal profitt privat permezz ta’ ħtif illegali ta’ art pubblika – il-kampanja Manoel Island: Post Għalina dejjem iddefendiet ix-xewqa tal-club tal-futbol tal-Gżira li jkollhom ground tal-futbol.

In-nies huma mitluba biex jibdew jinġabru nhar il-Ġimgħa fis-6pm fid-daħla għal Manoel Island. Il-protesta se tibda fis-6.30pm, fejn matulha se jkun hemm xi diskorsi qosra, segwiti minn mixja li tispiċċa ħdejn il-Forti Manoel, u għawma fl-aħħar.

Sa minn meta Robert Abela wiegħed li jibdel lil Manoel Island f’park nazzjonali, kien hemm xnigħat persistenti dwar interessi privati li qed ifittxu li jaħtfu żoni differenti ta’ Manoel Island, inklużi xnigħat dwar każinò u estensjoni tal-marina. Issa li Sharlon Pace tħalla jistabbilixxi n-negozju privat tiegħu fuq Manoel Island, dawn ix-xnigħat qed isiru dejjem aktar inkwetanti. Fl-istess waqt, qed naraw lill-Forti Manoel jintuża dejjem aktar għal avvenimenti kummerċjali ta’ skala kbira li mhumiex kompatibbli mal-viżjoni ta’ park trankwill ibbażat fuq il-komunità. Il-biża’ li jġibu magħhom dawn l-iżviluppi huwa ċar: Manoel Island jaf tispiċċa tingħata, biċċa biċċa, lil interessi kummerċjali differenti li l-unika għan tagħhom ikun li jagħmlu l-qligħ minn fuqha.

Infakkru lill-pubbliku li l-Gvern saħansitra wettaq eżerċizzju ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika dwar il-futur ta’ Manoel Island. Għalhekk, nistaqsu: x’kien ir-riżultat ta’ dak il-proċess?

Il-kampanja Manoel Island: Post Għalina organizzat ukoll diversi workshops u konsultazzjonijiet pubbliċi dwar il-futur ta’ Manoel Island, li kollha wrew ċar li n-nies iridu li Manoel Island tkun spazju fejn il-komunità, l-aċċessibbiltà u l-benesseri tan-nies ikunu fil-qalba tiegħu. In-nies ma jridux aktar kummerċjalizzazzjoni, speċjalment f’żona li hija diġà fgata b’attività kummerċjali bla rażan.

Nhar il-Ġimgħa, m’aħniex se nkunu biss qed insejħu lill-Gvern biex iwaqqaf in-negozju illegali ta’ Sharlon Pace milli jkompli jopera fuq art pubblika f’Manoel Island. Se nkunu wkoll qed nitolbu għal trasparenza sħiħa u għat-tfassil ta’ pjan ħolistiku li jqiegħed fiċ-ċentru l-ġid komuni, il-ħarsien ambjentali u l-benesseri soċjali.

Ma nistgħux nitilfu lil Manoel Island għar-regħba tal-ftit. Jeħtieġ li kollha kemm aħna ningħaqdu biex niżguraw li Manoel Island terġa’ ssir verament tal-poplu.