Riot police squads are accompanying garbage trucks top the landfill of Levkimmi in the south of the island of Corfu in an effort to hinder protests by locals. The operation started on Tuesday morning, after trucks started to collect tonnes of garbage from streets and squares, laying there for over two months upsetting local residents, businessmen and tourists and thus in the middle of the tourist season.
It is believed that more than 500 tonnes of garbage are been collected on daily basis, ever since the clean up operation started last Friday.
The police-garbage trucks convoy started on Tuesday morning, while riot police squads have been securing the landfill area since the dawn.
Locals have been opposing the operation of Levkimmi landfill, and several organization including the local branch of Communist KKE have called for a protest.
By Tuesday noon, the number of locals at the protest was limited to a handful of people. Local media note that this is most likely due to the presence of an MP from far-right Golden Dawn party. Organizers of the Protest Movement had declared that they do not want to protest together with GD representatives.
Minor tension between police and protesters occurred short after noon, with police firing stun grenades, state broadcaster ERT TV reported. One policeman was slightly injured.
According to local corfupress, more riot police squads are expected to arrive on the island from the mainland.
The mayor told media that he was confident “we will have collected garbage from main roads in the next 3-4 days and start collection in the settlements with smaller trucks.”
He said he believes to have got rid of the problem after ten days.
Ten more days in a garbage nightmare?
The landfill of Temploni reportedly remains closed.
Video: “Enough is Enough” Locals protest outside the City hall on Friday, 22. June 2018.
Several KTG readers have complained about the unbearable problem and tourists wrote that they will never visit Corfu again.
Sad for the beautiful island that has been suffering under this problem again and again for years.
