Hundreds of protesters marched through Nicosia on Saturday to demand the immediate closure of British military bases and what they argue is British and Cypriot complicity in the genocide in Gaza, following a recent drone strike on the island.
The demonstration, which drew around 500 people, began at the PASYDY building at 3:30 pm and ended at the Presidential Palace around 5 p.m.
The march was organised by afoa.cy and the Cyprus Palestine Solidarity Action, supported by a broad coalition of grassroots and activist organisations.
In a statement issued ahead of the march, organisers warned that the Republic’s deepening role in “imperialist plans” is placing residents on a “dangerous and destructive path.” They argued that the presence of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) and the facilitation provided to the US and Israel makes the country complicit in regional war crimes.
“The narrative that an alliance with them supposedly provides our people with protection is akin to the way organised crime sells protection from threats it creates itself,” the statement read. “We will not accept Cyprus being used as a launchpad for war.”
Protesters targeted the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, following reports from investigative outlet Declassified UK that the facilities have been used for surveillance flights over Gaza to provide intelligence to the Israeli military. The bases have also been used as launchpads for attacks against targets in the Middle East.
The march occurred against a backdrop of heightened regional tension after a drone, believed to be an Iranian-made Shahed, struck the runway at RAF Akrotiri on March 2. The attack, which marked the first strike on the base since 1986, prompted the evacuation of the nearby Akrotiri village and led to the deployment of European and British naval and aerial assets to the island.
“British bases you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide,” the crowd chanted, echoing concerns that the bases have transformed Cyprus into a “springboard for war.” Demonstrators argued that the presence of the UK military, coupled with recent reports that the Keir Starmer administration has granted the United States access to the bases for operations against Iran, has made the Republic of Cyprus a target for retaliatory strikes.
British investigative outlet Declassified UK has reported that the Royal Air Force (RAF) has conducted over 600 surveillance flights over Gaza from its base at Akrotiri since December 2023.
President Nikos Christodoulides has sought to distance the Republic from the war, stating this week that the country “does not intend to be part of any military operation.”
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