A breakaway group of livestock farmers plans to occupy the Rizoelia roundabout indefinitely from Thursday morning, in a protest that its spokesperson says will continue until their grievances are heard, as tensions mount over police action taken against participants in a previous demonstration.
Stella Petrou, spokesperson for the "Voice of Farmers" association, told the Cyprus News Agency that the group will gather at the roundabout at 11am on Thursday, keep one lane closed and remain overnight for an indefinite period. "The protest will be peaceful," she said. "We will close one lane and stay there. We will remain at the location indefinitely."
Petrou said turnout is expected to be at least as large as the previous protest on 23 April, possibly larger.
Police fines and allegations of targeting
The announcement comes as police have issued civil summonses to participants in the 23 April protest for illegal parking, a move Petrou described as deliberate targeting. "They issued fines for illegal parking at the 23 April protest, but the police themselves had directed people to park there," she told the Cyprus News Agency. "I want someone responsible from the police to tell me at which other protest in Cyprus this has ever happened."
Petrou said she has also been called in by police to give a statement about the road closures at the April protest. "If that is even possible," she added, describing the action as motivated by intent to intimidate.
Excluded from ministry talks
The group says it was not invited to Thursday morning's meeting at the Agriculture Ministry on foot-and-mouth compensation, which brought together established agricultural organisations and government officials and resulted in the announcement of a €35.6 million support package. "They do not take us into account. The more they ignore us, the more determined we become. We have received no response from anyone, not from the minister, not from Mr Gregoriou," Petrou said.
She also took aim at the organisations that did attend the talks. "We are angry because most of them are not livestock farmers and they sit at the table and discuss on behalf of livestock farmers," she said, adding that the Voice of Farmers has no contact with Panagrotikos or EKA.
"We want people to stand by us and support us, because we are fighting for everyone," Petrou concluded.
Source: CNA
