Tensions are rising ahead of a new protest by livestock farmers at the Rizoeilia roundabout on Friday, with police preparing measures aimed at preventing a repeat of the scenes recorded during the previous demonstration on April 23.
Livestock farmers say they are ready to remain at the site indefinitely and have announced plans for a symbolic closure of one lane of the motorway, despite clear warnings from the authorities that any disruption to traffic will not be allowed.
Stella Petrou, representative of the association “The Voice of Livestock Farmers”, told CNA that the protest will begin at 11:00 on Friday morning and that demonstrators intend to stay overnight at the site.
Petrou said the protest would be peaceful, but added that livestock farmers were determined to remain at the roundabout until solutions are provided to the problems facing the sector, mainly over animal culls, measures linked to foot-and-mouth disease and compensation.
Police warn against road disruption
At the same time, police are on alert ahead of the mobilisation, with instructions from both political and police leadership that road closures will not be permitted.
Justice and Public Order Minister Costas Fytiris told Phileleftheros that “what happened last time will not be allowed to happen again”, stressing that the right to protest is respected, provided that the free movement of citizens is not affected.
“Police will not allow any traffic lane or part of the road network to be closed, nor will there be any interruption or obstruction of traffic,” police said in a statement.
A meeting has been scheduled for 19:30 at Larnaca Police Directorate, in the presence of the Justice Minister, the Chief of Police and the local police leadership, to determine the measures that will be taken.
