Larnaca, Cyprus. Livestock farmers will gather on Thursday at the Rizoelia roundabout to protest the ongoing mass culling of animals due to the foot and mouth outbreak, with police present to ensure EU leaders’ arrivals and an informal EU council in Ayia Napa are not disrupted.
Farmers confirm protest plans
Farmers’ spokeswoman Stella Petrou said the decision to stage the protest still stands after a meeting on Tuesday with the agriculture ministry’s permanent secretary Andreas Gregoriou, which she said did not yield the desired results.
Petrou said dissatisfied farmers from all districts would gather at 11am and partly close the roundabout, demanding the termination of mass culling at farms with only a few incidences. Farmers will close one lane in each direction, with traffic channelled to the other lane. Petrou said the aim was not to inconvenience the public.
Police set measures for protest and EU events
Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos said measures had already been taken to ensure a smooth protest and for EU presidency activities, including the informal EU council, to continue unhindered.
Vyronos 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. He said EU heads of state and government would start arriving in the morning and that necessary measures would be taken to avoid traffic problems and ensure the presidency’s meetings proceed as planned.
How will the planned traffic arrangements affect your travel on Thursday?
