Approximately 300 citizens, who participated in a peaceful protest organized by the Municipality of Kourion, was voiced by approximately 300 citizens who participated in a peaceful protest organized by the Municipality of Kourion on Saturday morning outside the Akrotiri Bases. Mayor Pantelis Georgiou presented a relevant resolution to a representative of the Bases.
The resolution calls for an immediate suspension of all work “related to the installation of new surveillance antennas, a review of the design, taking into account the concerns of local communities, full transparency and official information regarding the purpose and potential impacts of the installations, both on human health and the environment.” Finally, it calls for a substantive dialogue with the Republic of Cyprus, local authorities, and citizens prior to any further development of military infrastructure.
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The protest was organized in collaboration with the Merra Akrotiri Committee, the “Akrotiri Zero Hour” Movement, and various organized groups, in response to a decree by the British Bases requisitioning the Merra area, amid consultations with local authorities.
In a speech at the entrance to the Akrotiri municipal district, Pantelis Georgiou stated that the protest is not about hostility toward another people but about love for our homeland, “because we believe that every community has the right to protect its environment, its quality of life, and the future of its children.”
Akrotiri, he continued, is not simply a spot on the map, but a place of unique natural beauty, a wetland of international importance, and a place steeped in the history, culture, and life of Cyprus. “It’s the people who live there, it’s the families who live here, it’s the children who dream of their future on this land,” he added.
Expressing his opposition to the installation of new military antennas, the Mayor of Kourion said that citizens are calling for respect for the residents, respect for the environment, and respect for the voice of the local community.
He also noted that, through the submission of a resolution, the protest “is being carried out in an institutional manner, with reasoned arguments, with dignity, and with absolute respect for democratic procedures.”
At the same time, she called on the Republic of Cyprus to stand by its citizens and defend the right of local communities to have a say in decisions that affect their future, and she emphasized that “the voice of a people defending their land cannot be ignored.”
In a brief address, the deputy mayor of Akrotiri, George Konstantinou, said that this march must send a message to the British Bases “that we will not negotiate—neither our health, nor our property, nor the environment.”
He also thanked the participants and called on them, as well as all Limassol residents, to stand with the Municipality of Kourion in any future mobilization regarding the issue of the antennas.
This was followed by a march toward the entrance to the British Bases at Akrotiri, with protesters holding signs and banners bearing slogans such as, “No to the antennas of death,” “Our health is non-negotiable,” and “The human right to life, health, property, and the environment.”
The Mayor of Kourion presented the resolution to a representative of the British Bases. The resolution expresses “categorical opposition to the installation and operation of surveillance antennas and any other military infrastructure in Akrotiri, which reinforces the military character of the area and may endanger the safety and health of civilians.”
“We believe that the further militarization of the region, particularly at a time of heightened international tensions, raises serious concerns for security, peace, and stability,” it added.
Source: CNA
