MAVERICK DIKO deputy Marios Matsakis yesterday refused to rule out the possibility of clashes similar to the violence of the summer of 2001 if the British Bases (SBA) put their new PLUTO antenna at Akrotiri into operation.
While around 100 members of AKEL, EDON and the Green Party staged a peaceful demonstration in Limassol yesterday, the SBA police had their hands full as Matsakis drove his car around the antenna area and then embarked on a one-man campaign to inform residents of nearby villages of the dangers he says the new mast could pose to their health.
Four SBA police vehicles followed Matsakis along the perimeter of the PLUTO site as he walked around and spoke to the media.
Matsakis was arrested by SBA officers and detained overnight in July 2001 following violent clashes at Episkopi over plans to build the huge new telecommunications mast at Akrotiri.
Around 40 police officers were injured, a police station was badly damaged, and twelve vehicles belonging to British forces personnel were gutted, causing damage estimated at around £100,000.
Speaking to the Sunday Mail yesterday, Matsakis said he would stand by the people in any form of demonstration they took, and he also accused the SBA of spying on him by following him around Limassol.
“I have started a campaign aimed at making the local population aware of the dangers this contraption could pose to their health,” he said.
“The antenna points towards Limassol, and the villages of Asomatos and Trachoni will be affected when the antenna is put into operation.
“This thing has to be stopped. It’s unacceptable for the British government to handle the issue as if Cyprus was still part of the colonies.”
Matsakis accused the previous government of allowing the British to go ahead with the construction of the antenna and defended President Tassos Papadopoulos’ stance on the issue.
“The position of this government is clear: they have to supply the SBA with electricity according to the Treaty of Establishment,” he said.
“It’s the previous government who allowed them to go ahead with the construction of the antenna.”
Matsakis pledged that the issue would be taken before the European Parliament and before the European Union.
“If they go ahead and test the antenna we will stop them. We will use forceful measures, but obviously we have to be a little more careful due to the island’s accession to the EU,” he said.
“This is a conflict area, and when the first cancer cases begin to emerge in the local population, who knows how the people will react?
“But I will stand by the side of the locals in both their peaceful and forceful demonstrations. If they use violence why shouldn’t we?”
But SBA spokesman Tony Brumwell warned yesterday that violent demonstrations would not be tolerated.
“We stand by our commitment to making the operation of the antenna as safe as possible,” he said. “The safety of the locals is our responsibility — we take it very seriously and we are confident there is no health risk.
“In terms of demonstrations, it’s their right to demonstrate peacefully. But any violence will not be tolerated.
“The SBA police and troops are trained in public order measures to firstly stand as deterrent, and if anything gets out of hand they are trained and capable of dealing with it,” Brumwell said.
