ANTI-RACIST groups have called on the public to gather in Limassol tonight to protest against the visit of French National Front leader and MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen.
KISA (Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism) yesterday called on “all democrats, male and female, who are against racism and fascism” to protest against the arrival of Le Pen.
The organisation has also urged the Holiday Inn in Limassol, which is to host a lecture by Le Pen to withdraw the facility. He had originally been due to speak at the Four Seasons, which changed its mind in face of the public pressure.
The protest will take place today at 4.30 pm outside the Holiday Inn.
KISA said yesterday more than 100 Greek and Turkish Cypriots had gathered at Larnaca Airport on Friday to protest against the right-wing politician’s visit.
Le Pen arrived on the island on Friday for a six-day visit, accompanied by his wife, who is of Greek origin.
According to an announcement made by Le Pen’s office, his address this afternoon will focus on Turkey’s accession to the EU, the Cyprus problem and Cyprus’ development within the Union.
In a statement issued on Friday, KISA described Le Pen as “one of the symbolic leaders of the neo-fascist, neo-nazi movement in Europe and a nostalgic perpetrator of the abominable Hitlerite ideology and policies.”
The Green Party issued a statement yesterday protesting against the visit.
“We are expressing our complete opposition to the extreme and fanatical opinions of the Le Pen’s party,” the statement read, adding, “The Cypriot public does not want the support of Mr Le Pen and the fascist elements that he represents.”
A scheduled meeting with political party ADIK leader Dinos Michaelides, which had been planned for yesterday morning at 10.30 am, was cancelled.
A spokesman for Michaelides said yesterday the reason for this was that the ADIK leader was in the UK and wouldn’t be arriving back in time for the meeting.
It was not clear whether the meeting would be rescheduled.
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said yesterday there was no contact between the government and the French politician. “No meeting took place between Mr Le Pen and the Cypriot Republic.”
Tasos Mitsopoulos, spokesman for right-wing DISY, likewise said no meeting would take place with Le Pen. “Our European political team is clearly against Le Pen’s policy,” he said yesterday.
Parties AKEL and DIKO also said they would not meet Le Pen.
Infamous for stating in 1987 that nazi death camps were “a mere detail” of World War ll, Le Pen was convicted of incitement to racial hatred by casting doubt on the nazi persecution of Jews and Gypsies under a French law banning such rhetoric. He was fined around £110,000.
The National Front has made no secret of its desire to curb immigration in France, and has also been accused of anti-Semitism. In February of this year, Le Pen accused President Jacques Chirac (who beat him in the run-off to the presidential elections of 2002) of being “in the pay of Jewish organisations”.
In 2002, Le Pen stunned France by beating the Socialist candidate into third place and force a run-off with Chirac. Earlier this month, he officially announced his candidacy for the country’s next Presidential elections, which will take place in May 2007.
Organisations opposing the National Front leader’s visit include Workers’ Democracy, the Youth of New Cyprus Party, Youth Against Nationalism, the Federation of Environmental and Ecological Organisations, Youth of Ecological Party, Baraka Cultural Centre, the Association of Recognised Refugees and the Organisations of Migrant Communities in Cyprus.
