Villages protest over National Guard firing range

Larnaca communities on Monday staged a demonstration to demand the closure of the National Guard’s main firing range at Kalo Horio.

Kalo Horio community leader Kyriacos Antzoulis said they were forced to take measures because their repeated calls had gone unheeded.

The firing range is used by the army for various exercises, including heavy weapons live fire. There have been incidents of shells straying from target and ending up close to communities. Unexploded ordnance found in villages surrounding the area is not unusual.

There were also the effects on the environment caused by the explosions, the protesters said.

Antzoulis said the defence ministry carried out exercises on a daily basis, except weekends.

“We will not negotiate the health and safety of our residents,” Antzoulis said.

The firing range was located some 500 metres from a residential area, the community leader added, and despite the repeated incidents of shells going off course and the serious risks, “there has been no response to our appeals to suspend its operation.”

Promises to compensate those affected remained just that and there had never been a study into the effects on the residents’ health and the environment.

The residents demanded a meeting with the defence minister and a discussion in parliament. They also demanded a comprehensive study into the effects the shells had on the air, the soil, and the water.

Two letters had been sent, one to the minister and one to parliament, but no reply had been received by November 21, the deadline the residents had set.

“After this, we are in the unpleasant position of taking to the streets and protesting,” Antzoulis said. He did not rule out more “dynamic” measures.

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