Political parties fueling nationalism crisis in Chlorakas protest

The "people living in Chlorakas who are organized" issued a statement today expressing their unhappiness with reports on the internet about "a small group of individuals spreading false information and serious accusations against the residents of Chlorakas and their protest against segregation," they argue. They believe that the aim of these individuals is to "generate anger in the world, portraying it as a surge of extreme nationalists, and twisting the truth to suit their own agenda."

The Chlorakas residents who took part in the protest "came from various political backgrounds and age groups" and "never supported Nazis, didn't plan any attacks, didn't target the Syrian community, and didn't mark houses with spray paint or any other falsehoods."

According to the statement, "unfortunately, the incidents began with provocations from Syrians who made gestures to the crowd. The incident that ignited the conflict was witnessed by journalists, who recorded it, and there were continuous provocations and troublemakers, mainly from Syrian immigrants."

The statement also mentions "evidence of these actions and the provocative behavior of the Syrians," such as "the behavior of Syros and 300 of his supporters, who threatened to cause chaos in Pafos and the National Guard's kidnapping," as well as "repeated attacks on the police, attempts to steal electricity, and marches with religious slogans to the K.s. Chlorakas offices."

The "organized residents of Chlorakas" state that they "condemn violence, regardless of its source."

[This article was translated from its Greek original]