Tension and incidents took place on Monday outside the "prime ministry" in the occupied territories, in the protest of the livestock farmers, which took place with the support and participation of the leadership of many trade unions, NGOs and political parties.
The protesters knocked down the iron gate of the courtyard with tractors and clashed with "policemen" who were lined up outside the building. They also set fire to large bales of hay, causing the area to fill with smoke. The protestors are demanding the resignation of the "government" and called on "MPs" of the opposition who were on the spot to enter the courtyard of the building.
For a week now, livestock farmers have been protesting outside the "prime minister's" office every day because of the "government's" decision to allow the import of meat from the Netherlands and the failure to solve the problem of the high selling price of lamb and beef.
In support of the breeders, the "air traffic controllers" were also going to go on strike today by decision of their union, but the "government" declared the strike illegal and by publication in the "official newspaper" any strike was prohibited for 60 days.
So far it is not known if any protesters have been arrested. T/c media reports that immediate action teams of the "police" also appeared on the spot.
In their speeches, union leaders said it was a "community struggle for survival" and declared that "we will fill the streets to secure our future".
"This is only the beginning, let's continue the fight" was one of the slogans of the protesters who with banners and flags stopped the traffic on the main road in front of the "prime ministry" building.
The president of the breeders' association, Mustafa Naimogulari, said that they will continue and intensify the protests. "We will never be defeated by such attitudes and we will never back down. We will not stop fighting, everyone will see it. They found the square empty, but the square is not empty," he said.
The "government" has asked for an end to the protests in order to enter into a dialogue, which the breeders do not accept.
The "prime minister", Unal Ustel, had asked yesterday - in view of today's protest - for "common sense" to prevail among the protestors, saying that the interests of representatives of a productive sector should not outweigh the interests of the entire society. However, his statement that the breeders went with "million tractors" to protest in front of his office, caused further reactions and tension.
Source: KYPE