Larnaca, Cyprus. Livestock farmers will gather at Rizoelia roundabout on Thursday to protest the ongoing mass culling of animals due to the foot and mouth outbreak, as police deploy to ensure EU leaders’ arrivals are not affected.
Protest plans and meeting times
Farmers from Limassol and Paphos will meet at Monte Caputo in Limassol at 10am, while other districts will meet at 10.45am. Dissatisfied farmers from all districts are expected to gather at 11am at Rizoelia roundabout in Larnaca.
Farmers’ demands and traffic impact
Farmers’ spokeswoman Stella Petrou said the decision to stage the protest remained in place after a Tuesday meeting with the agriculture ministry’s permanent secretary, Andreas Gregoriou, which she said “did not yield the desired results.” Petrou said farmers would partly close the roundabout, calling for the termination of mass culling at farms with only a few incidences. One lane in each direction will be closed, with traffic channelled into the other lane. Petrou said the aim was not to inconvenience the public.
Police measures linked to EU presidency activities
Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos said measures had been taken to ensure the protest proceeds smoothly and that EU presidency activities, including the informal EU council in Ayia Napa, continue unhindered. He said police were ready to handle the situation and would intervene immediately if the informal EU council, scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Ayia Napa, was affected. EU heads of state and government are set to begin arriving on Thursday morning, and he said measures would be taken to avoid traffic problems and disruptions to presidency meetings.
How will the partial closure at Rizoelia roundabout affect your travel plans on Thursday?
