in-cyprus 23 September 2025
Anti-war campaigners will stage simultaneous protests in London, Nicosia and Reno, Nevada on 28 September against British military operations in Cyprus that activists claim support Israeli actions in Gaza.
The UK-US: Bases Off Cyprus campaign said demonstrations will take place at the Ministry of Defence in London at 2pm local time, outside Nicosia District Court at 4pm before marching to the British High Commission, and at Legends Mall in Reno at 1pm Pacific time.
“Since October 2023, around 600 spy flights have been launched from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus over Gaza, supplying live intelligence directly to Israel,” the campaign statement said, citing UK official confirmations of intelligence-sharing arrangements.
Protests target UK intelligence operations from Cyprus
Britain has recently shifted surveillance operations from Royal Air Force assets to the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a US defence contractor based in Reno, the protest announcement states.
The company holds full security clearance and operates what activists describe as an extension of US military capabilities.
RAF Akrotiri, located within Britain’s Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, has been used for reconnaissance flights over the eastern Mediterranean since the escalation of conflict in Gaza in October 2023.
The UK government has acknowledged intelligence-sharing arrangements with allied nations but has not detailed specific operations.
Campaign links Cyprus government to military operations
The protest organisers criticised the Cypriot government under President Nikos Christodoulides for facilitating UK and US military operations through access to Cypriot infrastructure.
The campaign demands the dismantling of British Sovereign Base Areas.
The campaign organisers include Genocide-Free Cyprus, Pancyprian Peace Council, Codepink, Far Right Watch, Palestinian Youth Movement, Peace & Justice Project, Stop the War Coalition, United for Palestine Cyprus, AFOA, Spirithkia, EDON and Proodeftiki.
Historical context
British military presence in Cyprus dates back to 1878 when the United Kingdom received Cyprus as a protectorate from the Ottoman Empire in exchange for the UK’s military support against Russia. When Cyprus gained independence in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over approximately 98 square miles of territory for military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
These installations have remained operational for over six decades, serving various strategic purposes throughout the Cold War era and more recent Middle Eastern conflicts, including the war in Gaza and NATO’s fight against the Houthis in Yemen.
Defence ministry officials from the UK have consistently maintained that these bases operate in accordance with international law and bilateral agreements with Cyprus.
