Cyprus Mail 9 December 2022 - by Nikolaos Prakas
President Nicos Anastasiades condemned the resulting violent incidents of the Grivas rally outside parliament, which resulted in damages to the Edek political party offices and insults hurled at MPs attending the plenary session to vote on the 2023 state budget.
On Thursday, while MPs were voting, supporters of Grivas protested outside.
Police closed the road outside and set up barricades around the parliament building, keeping a close eye on Grivas supporters who chanted slogans – ‘Cyprus is Greek’, ‘Grivas is with us and guides us’, and ‘Anarchists and Bolsheviks, this land is not yours’.
A controversial figure in Cypriot history, Grivas – nicknamed ‘Digenis’ – was the leader of Eoka, a Greek Cypriot nationalist paramilitary organisation that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus, and for eventual union with Greece.
In his post on social media, Anastasiades said: “From Spain where I am for the EUMED9 summit; I in the most intense manner, condemn the unacceptable incidents that occurred earlier today.”
He added that these extreme actions are neither allowed, nor do they contribute to unity and solidarity needed in a country under occupation.
During the budget debate, Edek leader Marinos Sizopoulos walked out after hearing that his party’s offices in Nicosia had been vandalised.
The glass front of the offices was smashed, and a flare or Molotov cocktail – it was unclear which – tossed inside. A small fire broke out, which was extinguished minutes later.
The incident – treated as malicious destruction of property and attempted arson – was reported to the police around 6.30pm.
Interviewed by media crews at the scene, Sizopoulos spoke of “thugs” and vowed that his party would not be intimidated.
Back in parliament, still debating the budget, Greens MP Alexandra Attalides asserted that “violence” had been committed against her by the pro-Grivas protesters outside.
She said the crowd had hurled insults at her.
