Limassol Municipality crews have been accused of illegally cutting down 60 cypress trees on private property in Mesa Geitonia without authorisation, the property owner told philenews.
Property owner Irene Antoniadou said the incident occurred on October 30 when municipal workers entered her fenced property without permission while she was away and cut down trees that were approximately 7 metres tall and had been planted 30 years ago.
“This was clearly an act of vandalism by Limassol Municipality on my private property, ordered by Mesa Geitonia’s deputy mayor,” Antoniadou said.
She stated that she had received no prior complaints about the trees causing problems and that falling trees during the operation damaged four additional trees on her land.
Mesa Geitonia’s deputy mayor Marios Protopapas defended the action, claiming the cypress trees exceeded the legal height limit of 3 metres and posed safety risks to a nearby footpath.
He maintained the trees were on public land rather than private property and said the operation was meant to be pruning rather than felling.
The Movement of Ecologists visited the site and condemned the municipality’s actions. “What happened wasn’t pruning – it was slaughter,” said Andreas Evlavis, the movement’s coordinator for Limassol and Paphos districts.
He noted the property owners had been willing to trim the trees if asked.
“While we’re all talking about climate change and the importance of trees for our quality of life, some people use weak excuses about trees affecting health. This is outrageous,” Evlavis added.
