An environmental activist was removed from a public planning board meeting after being told he was being disrespectful after calling Professor Victor Axiak ‘Victor Axiak’.

“There was this whole hassle because I called Victor Axiak by his name, instead of saying ‘Professor Victor Axiak’. Victor himself said he didn’t mind, but PA board chairman Vince Cassar said I was being disrespectful and that I had to leave,” Robert Louis Fenech, the activist himself, told Lovin Malta.

Four police cars and ten police officers, including members of the RIU, were called in to remove the activist after he refused to leave over something so silly.

“I even apologised to them for causing such a waste of police resources over me,” he said.

The meeting was suspended for 40 minutes during the standoff between the chairman and activist, until he was forcibly removed.

The public meeting was called to discuss whether a proposed hotel in Kalanka bay in Delimara would be approved. However, when the floor was opened for questions, a problem quickly arose.

“They opened the floor for comments, and other activists gave their comments, and then I raised my hands to give my comments,” Robert said to Lovin Malta.

“I raised two points, and then before I could say my third point the chairman said ‘next’. I said, ‘Sorry, I’m not ready’, and he ignored me, and I repeated ‘Sorry no, I’m not ready’ and he continued to ignore me,” Robert said.

Angry that the chairman was blatantly ignoring him, he let out an “oi!”

“That ‘oi’ might have been a bit extra, but he was trying to ignore me. So I immediately apologised for it, and started saying my third point, and I directed it to Victor Axiak and I said his name,” Robert said.

At this point, the chairman rose and said “he is a professor, speak to him appropriately.”

“Victor himself said ‘I don’t mind, I will answer the questions anyway,’ so I said to the chairman ‘Victor Axiak doesn’t mind that I address him by his name, allura inti x’tindaħal?'”

But he apologised for this outburst as well: “Excuse me, you are right, you are the chairman and you have every right to say your opinion. However, I do not feel that there is a need to call him by his title, and he is ok with it. But I repeat, excuse me, I shouldn’t have said that to you.”

“But the chairman continued saying no, and he asked me to leave the room. When I asked him why, he said nothing. When I asked for another reason, he said ‘I don’t need to give a reason for kicking someone out.'”

“So I said “OK, you are not giving a reason, so I am not leaving.”

That’s when the board started sending people over to remove him.

“First they sent this staff member to me, I think he’s a messenger with them, and he said to me “ejja ħa mmoru qabel ma naqilgħu iktar problemi,” and I said ‘no, all I did was call a guy by his name, I don’t see why I should leave a room because of that,'” he said.

It was at this point that the meeting was suspended for 40 minutes, until the police came and escorted Robert out.

“They sent 4 police cars, 10 policemen, and the RIU for me,” said Robert flabbergasted. “And some of the people who were there supporting the project started telling me ‘you are keeping us hostage.'”

After the incident, Robert looked into whether the chairman really didn’t need to give him a reason to kick him out.

“The police confirmed with Johan Buttigieg, the CEO of the Planning Authority, that he does not need to give a reason kick someone out,” Robert said.

Do you think the chairman was right to kick out the activist?

READ NEXT: Here Are 9 Places That Will Probably Get Ruined In Malta This Year

