The farmers and livestock farmers of Crete have decided to end the occupation at the Heraklion airport “N. Kazantzakis”, as announced on Tuesday morning by the President of the Pancretan Coordination Committee and the Livestock Association of Anogia, Vassilis Manouras.

“They are leaving peacefully,” Manouras announced in statements along with the President of the Association of Tourism & Travel Agents of Crete, Michalis Vlatakis, who was at the airport to meet with rally participants.

The detainees from Monday’s violent clashes brought before the prosecutor

Meanwhile, today at 12:00 the two individuals arrested during yesterday’s incidents in Heraklion are expected to be taken before the prosecutor. One of them has had previous run-ins with the authorities. They face charges of property damage, disturbing the peace, and violence against public officials.

A case file with far more serious charges — including multiple counts of attempted homicide in concert, possession and use of weapons, multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm in concert, multiple counts of property destruction, disturbing the peace, and obstruction of transportation — concerns at least 20 farmers who took part in Monday’s violent clashes with police in Heraklion and Chania.

The farmers who are alleged to have led the unprecedented acts of violence — knocking down the airport fence, destroying police vehicles, and attacking officers with stones, injuring nine and damaging parked cars — were identified through video footage. Among them are individuals with serious criminal records, including defendants and convicts linked to cases of organized crime involving drug trafficking, possession of weapons and explosives, extortion, and livestock theft.

In Chania and Heraklion, farmers broke through the police roadblocks, forcing riot police (MAT) to retreat, and moved toward the airport. They even overturned a patrol car stationed at the police checkpoint and vandalized a MAT van during the clashes.

Because of the farmers’ mobilization on Monday, three flights were canceled (two domestic and one international), ten flights departed with delays — the longest being five hours — and eleven aircraft landed late. Up until 11:00 today, outbound flights from Heraklion and three incoming flights continue to be affected. It is noted that during this period, Heraklion Airport normally handles an average of 40 flights per day.

See photos from the clashes in Chania and Heraklion: