Livestock farmers hold protests over foot-and-mouth disease measures in Cyprus
On Thursday, April 23, livestock farmers organized significant protests across Cyprus, focusing on the Rizoelia roundabout and blocking key road networks, including routes intended for President Nikos Christodoulides. The demonstrators are protesting against mandatory mass culling of animals due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. During the day, a delegation of farmers met with the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, in Nicosia, but the four-hour meeting failed to reach a resolution, as the government maintained that culling is a legal requirement under European Union regulations. Agriculture Ministry General Director Andreas Grigoriou stated that stopping the cull could lead to Cyprus's exclusion from the EU single market. In response to the failed talks and ongoing tensions, the farmers announced an escalation of their protests. The situation was further aggravated when Justice Minister Costas Fytiris requested farmers to reopen lanes for safety reasons, which led to temporary full road closures and traffic chaos. Farmers have warned they may target Larnaca airport if their demands to halt the culling and reassess compensation are not addressed.