Today, University students staged a demonstration targeting the development of an eleven-storey hotel in place of what used to be the Mireva Bookshop. During the demonstration, students carried red candles and an empty coffin, symbolizing the “burial” of student interests.

Concerns about the Lack of Student-Centered Development

KSU asserts that the issue is not opposition to development per se, but a plea for more spatial awareness. They argue that the hotel project will only serve to further erode the quality of services in the area, negatively impacting campus life.

Social Policy officer Matthias Azzopardi emphasized the need for development that enhances student life, such as bookstores like the one replaced, rather than hotels.

This isn’t the first time students have voiced their concerns on this issue. KSU had previously protested against the same development in September 2022.

Elsewhere, the proposed hotel development has faced opposition since 2019, with the Planning Commission initially refusing permission. Despite concerns raised by a case officer about the project’s impact on the environment, additional storeys were later approved.

So the question remains, will the authorities listen and reconsider the impact of such projects on the student community, or will they once more be ignored?