Pro-Palestine protest to be held in Nicosia

A pro-Palestine protest is set to take place in Nicosia on Saturday, with this weekend set to be the 18th consecutive weekend of pro-Palestine protests in Cyprus.

The protest is set to begin at 2pm in the capital’s central Eleftheria square.

The protest’s organisers Unite for Palestine Cyprus said, “Israel’s genocide in Gaza and their escalation of violence in the occupied territories continues.”

“Almost 28,000 Gazans have been killed since October 7, but there are surely many more beneath the rubble,” they added.

They also criticised the European Union and other western powers for withdrawing their funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) “exactly when more aid is required.”

They said the protest is aimed at demanding “an immediate ceasefire and a free Palestine”.

Last weekend, protests took place in both Nicosia and Limassol after the Palestinian Embassy in Nicosia said it was “stunned and disappointed” at the Cypriot foreign ministry’s characterisation of the genocide charges Israel faces at the International Court of Justice as “inaccurate”.

Limassol’s protest focused on the plight of children in Gaza, with its organsiers speaking of “children under fire” in Gaza, exclaiming, “enough is enough. They deserve better.”

They encouraged protestors and bystanders alike to “remember the lost, the starving, and the missing beneath the rubble.”

The protests come on the eve of the first Palestinian independent film festival, which is set to be held in Limassol between February 15 and February 22.

The festival will see Palestinian films shown across eight nights, with other cultural events also set to take place. Entry to the films will be free of charge.