Hundreds of protesters gathered for an anti-war rally at Eleftheria Square on Friday evening, calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
An impressive turnout for Cyprus, nearly a thousand people of all ages assembled at the square, waving Palestinian flags and holding placards denouncing war and imperialism.
Heavily policed by officers in riot gear, the event kicked off at around 6.30 pm with live protest songs, followed by speeches. A peaceful march then followed in the streets of central Nicosia, moving towards the ministry of finance then looping back to the square, to end around 8pm.
Working under the slogan Yes to Peace, No to War, the event was organised by the Cyprus Peace Council, which said it is “demanding an end to the war in Gaza”.
“I’m glad this is a good protest,” a half Palestinian woman present at the event told the Cyprus Mail.
“In all my years here they’ve always been small. So nice to see so much support,” she said.
Another protester, a Lebanese woman, said: “I don’t think anybody who has a decent moral compass needs to think about where to stand on this cause.
“It’s a genocide. I think the people all over the world have spoken, it’s the government’s that aren’t listening,” she added.
People need to stop listening to what they’re told, and start reading books and learning about the history, an English Cypriot protester said. “Check your sources”.
When the Hamas attack first happened, the Western world came out and said that Israel has a right to defend itself against this, but with proportionality, a Cypriot protester said. “Where is that proportionality now?” he asked.
The Palestinian issue is not 10 days old, he added. “It’s decades…decades of oppression and violence and land grabbing”.
In a speech at the start of the event, Cyprus Peace Council general secretary Charis Pashias spoke of an apathetic stance on behalf of the government and political parties, saying the government needs to stand in support of Palestine.
Palestinian ambassador Abdallah Attari, who was also present, acknowledged the support shown by Cypriots and said the fight continues.
Also present was Akel leader Stephanos Stephanou. Akel’s youth wing Edon had endorsed the event, saying that “it is the duty of every young man and woman to express solidarity with the fight of the Palestinian people, to condemn the killing of civilians, and to demand an immediate end to the carnage in Gaza”.
In its statement announcing the event earlier in the week, the Cyprus Peace Council said: “Over the past few days, humanity is following in shock the escalation of violence in the region … The operation being planned to level Gaza to the ground by the State of Israel will … have devastating consequences for the long-suffering Palestinian people in Gaza”.
The group added that the possibility of war spreading in the region “is close”, adding “we demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the bloodshed in Gaza, so that no more lives are lost.”
They also said they “denounce the mass murderous attacks by the Israeli army, but also Hamas’ terrorist attacks against civilians,” as well as the “Israeli occupation of Palestine that has been going on over many years”.
Photo by Christos Theodorides
Photo by Christos Theodorides
Photo by Christos Theodorides
Photo by Christos Theodorides
Photo by Christos Theodorides