Wednesday 24 April 2024

Full Support to Cottonera Residents in their Struggle Against AUM Extension



Moviment Graffitti has reiterated its support to the residents of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa in their fight against the “university” extension that will rob the community of yet another open space. The extension of the AUM building is not only unnecessary, but is also another attempted daylight robbery at the expense of the residents of Cottonera.

Therefore, Moviment Graffitti will be attending and endorsing in full the resident-organised protest of this Sunday, 17th November, and encourages residents from all over Cottonera to rally in opposition to this project. Moviment Graffitti notes with interest that several politicians including Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and MP Glenn Bedingfield, elected from the second district, have already spoken out against this “unnecessary” extension which will have negative effects on the community of the Three Cities.

In the light of such staunch opposition – including that of hundreds of residents and of members from the three Local Councils, there is no reason why the PA board should approve this project, nor give the AUM further time to present new plans once this has already missed the deadlines given in the last sitting.

The proposed project will deny the community of an open space where residents gather every evening for a breath of fresh air, as well as cover the historical bastions that are a main feature of the whole Cottonera area. It is brutally ironic that the Cottonera region, which has borne the brunt of the World War II bombings, should lose part of its historical heritage, and indeed, a monument to the bravery of its people, to a speculative real estate project, since it has now become clear that the AUM project is dead in the water and is not attracting students “from all over the world” as had been promised in 2015.

We feel, therefore, that should the PA approve this extension it would be allowing yet another injustice towards the residents of Cottonera, and we promise them that even if this first battle were to be lost, we will stand by them and continue working with them, in any way possible, so that this monstrous project will never see the light.



© 2024 Josanne Cassar.