Under the still-warm Cyprus September sun, peace activists hold a 12-hour daily vigil outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, reading out the names of the over 60,000 people reported dead in Gaza, whilst demanding Cyprus end its cooperation with Israel.
The demonstration organised by members of afoa, the Cypriot chapter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, and United for Palestine Nicosia takes place from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm throughout this week.
The protesters position themselves directly opposite the Presidential Palace gates, seated on the concrete with candles, Palestinian flags and literature arranged around them. The location was chosen to pressure the government to freeze its ever-warming relations with Israel and to denounce the genocide in Gaza.
The heat beats down as they work through extensive casualty lists. Each name is followed by the strike of a pot, creating a rhythmic memorial. The repetitive action continues for hours, with activists dressed predominantly in black clothing despite the warm weather.
“On the first day, it took us over three hours to read out the names of the children, under 1-years-old who were killed in Gaza. After 12 hours, we were still reading the names of children under 5-years-old,” one protester said.
The action requires coordination as pairs of activists maintain the vigil whilst others rest. Fresh volunteers arrive throughout each day to relieve them. Between reciting names, some activists take brief moments to read statements or poems.
The groups describe their marathon effort as expressing “grief and despair in a non disruptive way” through peaceful vigil reading “the officially announced list of names of the murdered Palestinian people starting from the age of zero.”
They say “genocide in Gaza, the massacres in the West Bank, the torture of Palestinians, and the ongoing seizures of Palestinian land” which they claim are “supported by Europe and Cyprus.”
They demand Cyprus “cease all military and economic cooperation” with Israel and implement “a complete arms embargo against Israel” alongside “an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”
Since the war in Gaza started in October 2023, Cyprus has faced pressure over its role hosting British military operations at RAF Akrotiri, with reports alleging that over 40 US transport aircraft have used the base to transfer arms and equipment to Israel, though both Nicosia and London have denied the base serves as a weapons transfer conduit.
Concerns have also emerged over alleged arms shipments through Cyprus’s civilian ports, with the BDS movement claiming ships carrying raw materials for Israeli weapons production have docked at Larnaca and concerns raised about vessels allegedly transporting explosives and artillery systems to Israel via Limassol port.
The Republic of Cyprus’s extensive economic and energy cooperation with Israel has deepened scrutiny of its position, with President Christodoulides meeting Netanyahu multiple times since 2023 to advance deals including an undersea electricity cable and natural gas field agreements. The neighbouring countries have signed multiple energy cooperation agreements since 2010, including exclusive economic zone arrangements and search and rescue deals, with trilateral summits involving Greece becoming a regular diplomatic staple.
Opposition MPs and citizens have accused the government of complicity whilst President Christodoulides has publicly denied any Cypriot involvement in Israeli military operations.
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