Livestock farmers continued their protest over foot and mouth disease measures outside the presidential palace on Friday following an agreement with police under which tractors and trucks remained at the GSP stadium while demonstrators were transported to the site by bus.

The arrangement followed early tensions at the stadium, where farmers had gathered in the morning.

The demonstrators began marching towards the presidential palace at around 1pm, accompanied by three pickup trucks, after police restricted the movement of heavy vehicles along the planned route, causing delays to the start of the protest.

The demonstration, organised by the group “the voice of the livestock breeders”, had initially been scheduled to begin at around 10am at the GSP stadium. Participants had planned to travel to the presidential palace to present demands including an immediate halt to animal culls, faster compensation payments and a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides.

Police and security forces were deployed along the route and around the presidential palace, where authorities said crowd-control measures had been put in place to ensure public order and manage traffic.

Police at the GSP stadium (photo Christos Theodorides)

Earlier in the morning, the movement of tractors and trucks had been blocked, with organisers claiming that previously agreed arrangements had not initially been implemented.

“We gathered today to protest peacefully, and the police came with barricades to suppress the gathering,” union president Neophytos Neophytou said, adding that participants had assembled according to the announced schedule.

The farmers’ group has called for the suspension of culling operations at infected units and for what it described as “proper compensation” for affected livestock producers.

The protest comes amid continuing concern within the agricultural sector over the spread of foot and mouth disease, which has affected around 120 livestock units across the island, with recent cases reported in the Nicosia district.

Authorities have previously said that movement restrictions and security measures were intended to ensure public order during large gatherings and to manage traffic flow around sensitive locations.

The demonstration continued despite the government’s announcement that meetings would be held next week with scientific advisers and agricultural organisations to address the outbreak.

President Nikos Christodoulides said earlier this week that “without cooperation, this challenge will not be met”, confirming ongoing coordination with veterinary services and epidemiological experts.

Organisers said the protest would continue regardless of the planned talks, arguing that immediate measures were needed to address losses in the livestock sector and ongoing concerns among farmers.