Students at Mitsero Elementary School were out of class today in a protest against the relocation and operation of an asphalt plant in the area.
Parents and students gathered outside the classrooms to stage a protest, while similar demonstrations took place in other affected communities.
Speaking on camera for the “Alpha Kalimera” program, the President of the Mitsero Elementary School Parents’ Association, Elli Mesaritou, said they were protesting the relocation of the asphalt plant to their area. According to statements made by officials, Ms. Mesaritou said, the plant was shut down at its previous location for health reasons. For the same reasons, she added, they themselves do not accept it in their area.
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There are more than 150 nuisance facilities in the area, such as pig farms, pig manure ponds, quarries, etc., and there is already a long history of such facilities in the area, he emphasized, adding that the construction of this factory would be yet another source of nuisance.
Speaking to Alpha TV, Mitsero Community Leader Andreas Papanastasiou said, for his part, that the community council supports the children’s protest, since, as he put it, it is a demand for basic human rights, the right to clean air, and the right to a good quality of life.
The crux of the matter, as he explained, is now before the Court of Appeals. The whole story began in 2022 with a lawsuit against the Republic of Cyprus, specifically challenging the issuance of the zoning permit for the asphalt plant. The plaintiff won the trial in the court of first instance, but the Republic appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeals ruled that the case should be reheard. The case was reheard by a different judge, who ruled that there were no grounds for invalidating the zoning permit. Subsequently, the community appealed to both the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, seeking an interim order to suspend the relocation work.
“Work cannot begin while legal proceedings are ongoing,” the community leader emphasized. “For us, escalating our measures is the only way forward,” he stressed, making it clear that they are prepared to go to “extreme lengths,” since the situation in the area “is out of control.”
“There are eight villages; it’s not just the community of Mitsero. Do they want us to abandon the area and leave? What is the government’s plan for this specific area?” Mr. Papanastasiou asked.
For tonight, the Mitsero Community has convened a pan-community assembly to make decisions, while on Sunday a peaceful protest will take place at the site where the asphalt plant is being built. On Monday, moreover, the Community will once again appeal to the Supreme Court, requesting an order to suspend construction work.
