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Chanting ''freedom for Palestine'' and dressed in red to symbolize bloodshed, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Presidential Palace on Monday night, calling out the Cypriot government’s silence over the ongoing devastation in Gaza.
The protest, organized by the Pancyprian Peace Council, brought together a crowd of activists, politicians, and ordinary citizens deeply critical of what they described as Cyprus turning a blind eye to “genocide” in Gaza. The demonstrators accused the government of President Nikos Christodoulides of tacitly backing Israel while ignoring mounting civilian casualties.
“Unbearable disgrace”
Tasos Kosteas, president of the Pancyprian Peace Council, did not mince words. “The Cypriot government is the only one in Europe that hasn’t even whispered its horror at the monstrous crimes happening in Gaza,” he said. “This is not just disappointing — it’s an unbearable disgrace.”
Kosteas pointed to recent deadly airstrikes that killed children, including one that targeted a school sheltering refugees. “If you can’t hear the global outcry, at least hear the bombs falling on Gaza’s hungry children,” he said, directly addressing the Cypriot president.
He warned that Cyprus risks losing credibility. “If this government chooses to stay silent in the face of crimes against humanity, what message are we sending to the next generation?”
A former diplomat’s harsh warning
Former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoulli also addressed the protest, turning her speech into a scathing indictment of the government’s foreign policy. “Enough is enough, Mr. Christodoulides,” she said. “Enough, Mr. Kombos. You are dragging Cyprus into a moral and diplomatic quagmire.”
She warned that the government’s position could come back to haunt Cyprus in its own struggle for justice. “How can we ever again invoke international law, human rights, or the Geneva Conventions when we ignore them now?”
Marcoulli, who has spent five decades in diplomacy, said this stance could cost Cyprus dearly: “This isn’t just political — it’s about our credibility and our core values.”
“Palestine is bleeding, but standing”
A representative from the Palestinian community in Cyprus told the crowd, “We don’t want pity. We want justice.” He thanked Cypriots for their support and urged Western governments to stop sending weapons and political cover to what he called “an apartheid regime.”
“History is being written, and the people have already chosen the right side,” he said. “Now it's time for governments to follow.”
Voices from across borders
An Israeli doctor and member of Physicians for Human Rights—Israel also spoke at the event, stressing that the tragic Hamas attack on October 8 had been “twisted into a pretext for a full-scale genocide.”
Other speakers included members of the Palestinian National BDS Committee, as well as Cypriot artists and musicians, all voicing unity with the people of Gaza.
A crack in the political front
Also in attendance was AKEL leader Stefanos Stefanou and party MPs, signaling a widening political divide on Cyprus’ handling of the crisis. With global calls growing louder for an end to the war and for immediate humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, the pressure on the Cypriot government is mounting.
The message from the crowd was crystal clear: neutrality in the face of suffering is not an option.
*With info from CNA
