President Christodoulides has referred protesting hunters to Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, despite initially agreeing to meet with them following traffic chaos caused by their highway blockades.
The decision came after hunters from the Movement of Cypriot United Hunters (KEKK) blocked the Nicosia-Limassol highway near Skarinou for nearly two and a half hours on Sunday, causing significant disruption to thousands of motorists during peak travel time.
The president had personally intervened with a phone call to KEKK leader Nikolas Prodromou, arranging a meeting at the Presidential Palace with a five-member delegation from the movement. However, it was later decided that they would instead meet with the interior minister.
Sunday’s protest, which police permitted to take place around midday, sparked anger among motorists travelling between Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca. Local restaurant owners also expressed outrage after customers cancelled reservations when unable to reach their destinations due to the gridlock.
The protesters had warned they would not reopen the road until speaking directly with President Christodoulides, threatening further escalation. KEKK had supported Christodoulides during his election campaign and secured 4,603 votes in the recent European elections and 11,712 votes in the previous parliamentary elections.
According to the Interior Ministry, the hunters are demanding access to environmentally sensitive areas during the critical nesting period from March 1 to July 15, which is currently restricted to protect wildlife reproduction. The ministry says these demands conflict with European Union directives and Cyprus law on wild bird and game protection.
During the protest, some hunters set up tables and chairs on the highway and lit charcoal grills to cook meat. Nikos Tornaritis, chairman of the House Legal Affairs Committee, announced the issue would be discussed immediately in parliament, criticising both the protesters’ behaviour and the police response.
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