A group of livestock farmers is staging a protest at Rizoelia, having gathered in a car park near a local centre before marching toward the Rizoelia roundabout. Participants are carrying banners, a symbolic coffin and wreaths, with their core demand being an immediate end to mass cullings. The protest is taking place under a heavy police presence, with officers in riot gear deployed to the area. A brief meeting between organisers and police took place ahead of the march.
The banners reflect the depth of frustration among those present. "We are not ignorant, there are EU protocols that save our animals, you just need to want it," reads one. Others carry the slogans "You are killing the future of our livestock sector," "We want the government beside us, not against us," "Burial equals contamination," and "Criminals, we demand the immediate halt of mass animal killings."
The protest has drawn participants beyond the farming community, with clergy from the Church among those present at the front of the demonstration. One priest was quoted as saying the culling measures "are the work of the devil."
The representative of farmers from Geri said protesters have no intention of causing disruption but warned that if no response is received by 2pm, they will close additional locations, including points along routes being used by EU leaders attending the informal summit. Farmers speaking to reporters expressed despair, with several pointing out that in the occupied north "not a single animal has been culled."