On Sunday, June 11, a celebration of the so-called «Day of Russia» took place on the central square of Cyprus, Eleftheria (Freedom Square). The event was organized by the «Cyprus-Russia Society of Friendship and Cultural Relations,» the «Association of Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities,» and the «Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots in the Republic of Cyprus.» The event was supported by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Cyprus.
Several dozen Russian citizens and supporters of the Putin regime participated in the celebration. The loud music also attracted the interest of citizens of different nationalities who were strolling through the city center at that time. The festive atmosphere was fueled by alcohol and snacks. In addition to Russian flags adorning the crowd, there were also some peculiarities such as flags of the self-proclaimed quasi-republic «DPR» (ironically, despite Cyprus having its long-standing pain with occupied territories, it tolerates the display of flags from other occupied and unrecognized territories) and the flag of the private military company «Wagner.» “Wagner” PMC gained widespread notoriety after carrying out combat missions in eastern Ukraine during the full-scale military aggression unleashed by Russia against Ukraine since February 2022. “Wagner” fighters, who have recently been recruited from Russian prisoners, are known for numerous war crimes, particularly their brutal treatment of civilians and prisoners of war. One by one, European countries are starting to recognize the “Wagner” PMC as a terrorist organization. The Russian Center for Science and Culture in Cyprus, shamelessly posted photos with these flags on their page, along with other pictures and videos from the event.
The speech by Neophytos Philippidis, a pro-Russian activist of Greek origin, was particularly interesting. He systematically listed everyone in the world who hates Russia, not forgetting even the World Health Organization and surprisingly, the European Union. The speaker was undeterred by the fact that the event was taking place at that moment on the central square of a European Union member country.
It is strange that despite the significant number of organizers and meticulous preparation for the event (stage, lighting, sound, concert program), it failed to attract a large number of Russian supporters. Their numbers hardly exceed those participating in the protest organized by the non-profit public organization «Community of Ukrainian-Cypriot Friendship.» The speakers on the festive stage even had to raise their voices over the slogans of the protest participants, which included Ukrainians, several representatives of the movement Russians against war and citizens of other countries who support Ukrainians in their struggle. They gathered to express their outrage at allowing such celebrations in the capital of a European country. Although municipal officials did not allow the use of acoustic devices at the protest, the specific architecture of Eleftheria Square acted as a natural amplifier of sound. Fans of Russia had to sing their anthem and celebrate amidst cries of «Russia is a terrorist state,» «Killers,» «Russia makes ecocide,» and many other slogans in three languages.
Numerous representatives of the Cypriot police were prepared for any provocations. They were fully equipped with anti-terrorism gear, which made it quite hot for them, but they steadfastly kept the two communities apart. There were no serious clashes, although law enforcement officers had to confront pro-Russian participants a few times when they passed by the Ukrainian protest and defiantly displayed the middle finger. The full combat readiness of the police was also necessary when they had to control some celebrants who had exceeded their alcohol consumption.
The goal of the Ukrainian community was to remind Cyprus of the dangers of playing in democracy with countries that resolve political conflicts through armed aggression and war. If the aggressor is not stopped in a timely manner, the war has a tendency to spread far beyond the initial conflict. And Russia has already demonstrated multiple times how it “takes care of the rights of the Russian-speaking” in other countries and uses it as a cover for military aggression. Considering the huge number of the Russian-speaking residing in Cyprus, the prospect of defending their interests is not at all illusory. The crawling occupation of Cyprus is happening right now. It is worth thinking about this before it’s too late.
