Motorway blocked as opposition against waste site escalates

Nine people were injured and cars were set on fire by angry residents of Lymbia village, who are protesting the government’s decision to construct a waste disposal plant in their area.
Police said that around 500 men, women and even children joined the demonstrations, blocking the Nicosia – Larnaca motorway in both directions, threw rocks onto the motorway and set fire to tyres and cars which they dropped onto the highway from a bridge.
Police are diverting traffic and making efforts to open the road.
So far nine people were taken to Larnaca General Hospital with minor injuries.
Justice and Public Order Minister Sofoclis Sofocleous expressed regret over the escalation of the measures taken by the Lymbia residents who oppose the construction of the waste plant.
The Lymbia community maintains that the plant should not be constructed in the proposed area, saying this would be an environmental hazard for the nearby area. The plant will cater for the Larnaca – Famagusta area. However the government is adamant that the construction should proceed.
Speaking to CNA, the minister said the government decided to go ahead with the plant after a unanimous Cabinet decision and after exhausting the dialogue with the Lymbia residents.
He said “when motorways are blocked and vehicles are prevented from reaching the construction site and when there are actions which go beyond law and order, then surely we cannot be pleased”.
Sofocleous said that people have the right to demonstrate but only within the law and in a responsible social behaviour. The Police, he added, also have the right and are obliged to serve public interest.
Lymbia community leader Sofoklis Savas told CNA that the residents began blocking the proposed construction site since the early hours Tuesday and that the residents of the village have blocked the motorway.
“The Community Council did not ask for such thing. They did this themselves, because they were frustrated after tear gas was thrown at them. They are out of control. I have appealed to them many times to stop such actions because they do not help our effort. We do not want such actions which undermine our struggle and I appeal to them to stop. We want a solution to solve our problem with all legal means, through talks and not extremist actions”, he added.
Political parties have condemned the escalation of the measures.