TROUBLE IS brewing in Nicosia’s old town after nationalist organisation KEA announced plans to march on a multicultural street party at Phaneromeni Square this coming Friday night.
The party has been organised by a loose collective of regular night-time visitors to Phaneromeni square to celebrate multiculturalism with music, dance, jugglers, clowns and food.
At the same time, the right-wing nationalist Greek Resistance Movement (KEA) plan to march on the church area to protest against illegal immigrants, Turkish settlers and crossing points, which they say allow in drugs “that are killing Cypriot children”.
Both sides claimed yesterday they were not looking for trouble and defended their right to party and protest respectively.
However, with deeply opposing ideologies and the experience of violent clashes between right-wing nationalists and the organisers of last year’s Rainbow festival in Larnaca, police are trying to ensure the groups do not cross paths.
As of yesterday afternoon on the social networking website, Facebook.com, some 550 people said they planned to attend the street party. KEA estimated that up to 3,000 of its supporters would march.
But if the police have their way, only one event or none at all will take place. Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said: “We are in the process of contacting the two organisations to find a solution. There is no doubt that only one [of the events] will take place.”
Katsounotos said that if no amicable solution was found, the police would impose a decision on the two groups.
KEA president Krinos Makrides seemed determined yesterday that the anti-illegal-immigrant march would go ahead as planned: “The police have no right to stop us, because we were first to get permission to make these events,” he said.
Asked about the tensions between KEA and the organisers of the multi-cultural street party, Makrides said: “We don’t want problems or trouble and we are ready to go to the human rights court if they do anything nasty.
He added: “They are always calling us racists, but they are the racists… in Phaneromeni – the most sacred Greek Cypriot church, you cannot go there because there are so many immigrants and drug dealers. They urinate on the church walls – it’s ridiculous.”
Down in Phaneromeni square yesterday, several youths had gathered to listen to music, drink frappé and practice their BMX stunts in the sunshine.
“It will be a multicultural party and everyone is welcome. There will be music, clowns, food and even a kid’s corner” one local resident, Costas, said.
Asked about a possible clash with KEA, Costas said: “We are not going to cause trouble and we do not want trouble, but if they attack us we will defend ourselves.”
Costas added: “You know what they (KEA) call us? “The fifth finger,” because of our support for immigrants. You can open their website and see what sort of people they are.”
Dozens of people were injured in Larnaca when anti-immigrant marchers came into contact with organisers and participants of the annual multicultural Rainbow Festival.
