Remanding of Lefkimmi resident in custody has catalysed protest actions

Lefkimmi residents are preparing to escalate their protest actions against the operation of the South Corfu landfill. Already, during the protest outside the Courthouse on Sunday where the four arrested residents were appearing, an informal meeting was held and the idea of sending a delegation to Athens to meet with Ministers and even the Prime Minister was discussed. They will also seek to meet with opposition leaders.

They also discussed holding an event with the leaders of all the local parties standing for election and other actions (e.g. collecting signatures).

The Lefkimmi Struggle and Solidarity Initiative has already announced, through invitations, that there will be a protest gathering outside the Ministry for the Interior on Thursday 7 March at 19:00. A statement was also issued which, amongst other points, claims that the present explosive situation has come about because of 'political' reasons and so "the only possible solution is a political one".

According to the statement, the main demands of the protest gathering are:
- Withdrawal of all charges against the Lefkimmi residents.
- Immediate commitment from the Government to establish a respectable and efficient South Corfu Municipality to finally deal with problems that have existed for decades - water supply, sewerage, roads and social infrastructure.
- The South will take responsibilty for managing its waste using the best environmental practices and with the necessary funding, public management and control.

"...and the Government must accept its own political responsibility so that the violence can stop and discussions can go ahead with Lefkimmi organizations and groups to find a fair solution..."