CLOSE to 10,000 people gathered outside the presidential palace on Tuesday night, in an unprecedented show of disapproval for President Demetris Christofias and his government. Never before, in the brief history of the Republic, has there been a demonstration by ordinary citizens, from all walks of life, calling on the president to step down. Such is the level of public discontent with Christofias’ presidency.
The demonstrators were not sent out by political parties or any organised group to a staged event. They chose to attend a protest march, publicised through text messages and social network sites, of their own free will, in order to make some legitimate political points – that they had had enough of Christofias’ ineptitude and were deeply worried about the future of their country under his leadership.
These were not party cadres or political activists, following orders from above. They were ordinary, law-abiding, respectable individuals, without party affiliations, who wanted to express their anguish and frustration about a government that was putting their future at great risk, through its ineptitude and ineffectiveness. The fatal explosion at Vassilikos was the last straw – they had had enough and wanted to say so.
It is very rare for people in Cyprus to go on a march, not demanding personal benefits, such as higher pay, special treatment or financial support from the state. Members of AKEL and EDEK may occasionally stage a protest on the orders of their respective leadership, but it is unheard of for middle-class professionals, businesspeople and parents with their children to take to the streets protesting against the perceived inadequacy of the president.
It was a great pity that a civilised protest was hijacked by a couple of hundred young hooligans intent on provoking a police reaction and creating tension. The police panicked and resorted to the excessive use of tear-gas to control what essentially was a peaceful protest. Then again, some of the youths had acted aggressively and the police were obliged to impose law and order.
More protests are planned and to avoid Tuesday night’s chaos, the police should set up barbed wire barriers at the entrance of the presidential palace in order to keep any young troublemakers a safe distance away. It will be very interesting to see how many people will show up for tonight’s gathering at the presidential palace. Will they have been frightened off after Tuesday’s tear-gas attack, or will they show defiance and resolve by turning up again?
It remains to be seen whether the middle class protesters feel they have done their duty, by registering their discontent on Tuesday night.
