CLOSE
Loading...
12° Nicosia,
01 October, 2026
 
Home  /  Comment  /  Opinion

The great souvla debate and other political absurdities

From hunters to taxi drivers, and police confusion, how protests and bills keep us in the carnival of chaos

Onasagoras

Onasagoras

A representative of the hunters boldly declared that they had, under no circumstances, agreed with the police on a brief road closure. Naturally, he wondered: “How would we have had time to roast the souvla if we only blocked the road for a few minutes? We even had people who wanted it well done.” A flawless argument that is beyond dispute, right?

Seeing how rewarding this level of cheekiness is in this country and how easily the hunters got presidential intervention (as expected), it was only a matter of time before the taxi drivers jumped on the bandwagon. And to make their protest even more ''international'', they threatened to shut down Larnaca’s International Airport! Of course, the lovely taxi driver community has one distinct disadvantage compared to the hunters: they don’t have their own political party, which means it’s unlikely the president will give them a call.

But honestly, the police are really going to drive us crazy. On one hand, they claim that everything went perfectly during the “protest” by the hunters. On the other hand, they’ve launched an investigation into the same issue (where everything went perfectly, of course)! It seems even they haven’t decided whether the handling of the situation was exemplary or something to avoid. Meanwhile, the MPs are demanding explanations, and the Chief of Police will be summoned to parliament after Easter. By then, who knows...other absurdities might make us forget about the hunters.

Let’s not forget how the police initially got wind of this original, and we’ll admit, somewhat ''creative'' protest: through social media! Say what? Honestly, we’re just glad our police officers are on Facebook, or they might have only learned about it through the news reports! And can someone explain what exactly 125 police officers were doing at the scene, how much this cost taxpayers, and who’s getting the bill?

Speaking of bills, let's not forget the hilarious drama around the Limassol Carnival case, where the police sent a €43,000 bill to the Municipality of Limassol. The mayor, of course, refused to pay. The police, however, have now declared that when events are profit-driven, they’ll charge for security services. In other words, for the carnival, citizens will pay twice, once for the police and once for the municipality. Welcome to the crazy carnival.

And let’s not overlook the chant at the Greek military parade about... well, let’s say, the intimate relations with Turkey. A representative from ELAM defended it, clearly stating what’s acceptable and what’s not at a military parade. It’s a shame that many of the party’s leaders didn’t have the magical experience of such a parade—because, for various reasons, they forgot to enlist in the National Guard.

TAGS

Opinion: Latest Articles

Eighteen years later, questions about status, privilege and political judgment still linger. Photo credit: Androulla Vassiliou Facebook

Prestige, now and forever

Androulla Vassiliou’s latest comments on police escorts bring an old European Parliament hearing back into focus.
Pavlos Xanthoulis
 |  OPINION
From the cost of living and housing to energy bills and future pensions, the questions facing society deserve more than a conversation about who might run. File photo

Substance and nomenclature

As Cyprus starts talking about the next presidential election, are we paying too much attention to names and not enough ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
As AI begins to act on its own instructions, humanity may be creating a power it cannot fully understand or control. Image is AI (oh, the irony)

It’s alive!

The new monster of Artificial Intelligence, like that of the ''modern Prometheus,'' has already issued its warning.
Michalis Persianis
 |  OPINION
As Nepal counts its dead and missing, the world must confront the inequality behind a crisis driven by unchecked consumption and powerful economies. Photo credit: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP

Why is Nepal drowning?

The climate crisis is not a disaster for which everyone shares equal responsibility, even though its consequences are often ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
Sometimes the wisest response to another person's grief is to pause before passing judgment. Photo credit: Unsplash

A little silence

When pain and trauma shape a person's actions, perhaps we should choose empathy before judgment.
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
As marina and port projects reshape the coastline, protecting the marine environment must remain a priority. Photo credit: concretelayer.com

Can the sea be bought?

Cyprus’s coastal development is putting increasing pressure on the seas that residents and visitors have long enjoyed for ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
X