A TURKISH Cypriot child was slightly injured yesterday after a gang of hooded pupils from surrounding state schools burst into the English School in Nicosia, unleashing an attack against five Turkish Cypriot pupils.
President Tassos Papadoupoulos immediately described the incident as “a detestable assault by brainless criminals”, calling on the police to pull out all the stops to bring those responsible to justice.
The school’s management and teachers’ union issued a joint announcement, strongly condemning the “cowardly behaviour” of the masked intruders and demanding that the culprits receive “exemplary punishment”.
The incident came two days after daily Simerini published an article, claiming a Turkish Cypriot student had spat at a Greek Cypriot classmate because the latter had been wearing a crucifix.
A police announcement said that at around 11.25am yesterday, about 15 to 20 people – obviously pupils from other schools – entered the English School grounds.
“Two of them were holding planks of wood, while wearing caps and scarves, with their faces partially covered,” said the police.
The two allegedly attacked five of the school’s Turkish Cypriot pupils, but ran off after Greek Cypriot English School pupils intervened to protect their classmates.
“During the incident one Turkish Cypriot pupil was slightly injured on the face. Despite efforts by police officers on the scene and the school’s teachers, the pupils involved refused to go to Nicosia General Hospital for examination,” the police announcement read.
Police received a witness testimony yesterday, according to which three pupils from different schools in Nicosia appeared to be implicated. Police were last night in the process of securing arrest warrants for the three.
According to the school, the hooded pupils had entered the school grounds during recess and singled out a small group of Turkish Cypriot students. Questions were raised over how the attackers knew where to find them.
The President of the school’s student union yesterday admitted on CyBC that the culprits may have been informed from the inside, but said there were a number of other possibilities too.
He added, “This wouldn’t have happened if some newspapers hadn’t provoked with their articles, which in many aspects were false”.
The claims by Simerini – widely believed to be the reason behind the attack – were yesterday denied by the school’s Headmaster, Stuart Haggert, who told the Cyprus Mail that there had been a minor incident between two pupils, but that it had been completely blown out of proportion by the newspaper.
“There was a very minor incident between two pupils, where a Turkish Cypriot pupil saw a Greek Cypriot pupil was wearing a crucifix, and because this was not natural for him, he reacted and spat on the floor.
“But the incident was dealt with and the parents of both pupils are satisfied with the school,” said Haggert.
Describing the violent incident as “deeply shocking”, the headmaster added that good came out of it too.
“As the day progressed, we saw a very positive side to the incident. Clearly the Greek Cypriot pupils came to their classmates’ defence, which in itself contradicts people’s opinions that the English School has problems because it has pupils from various communities.”
The attack was “intensely and categorically” condemned by President Tassos Papadopoulos and his government.
An official government announcement said yesterday that “this criminal act from irresponsible troublemakers exposes our country and undermines our attempts to cultivate a climate of friendship and trust between our country’s two communities, for which religious issues were never a reason for conflict.”
It added that President Papadopoulos had contacted the Chief of Police immediately after being informed of the incident and given strict orders for an “immediate investigation into this unacceptable action, so that the culprits can be found and arrested, and then brought before justice.”
Education Minister Pefkios Georgiades, along with his ministry’s Permanent Secretary, visited the school immediately after hearing of the incident and expressed their total support towards the school.
But despite reassurances, Turkish Cypriot parents voiced their concern over their children’s safety, with one mother telling Reuters: “I’m thinking of not sending my son back for a few days until the necessary security measures have been taken”.
Another mother said: “Scuffles broke out, people were thrown to the floor and punched and kicked. Other Greek Cypriots intervened to protect their classmates”.
Yesterday’s Simerini spoke of anger among English School pupils and parents, as well as teachers, following its report on Monday.
According to the paper, Greek Cypriot parents were incensed by the school’s decision to issue a Code of Conduct, which banned pupils from wearing symbols that were provocative towards the two communities.
It also claimed that Greek Cypriot parents were unhappy at the school’s “favourable behaviour” towards Turkish Cypriots and that they were planning to protest to the school’s management.
But the school yesterday categorically denied that pupils had been asked not to wear crosses.
The English School is run by the government and is one of the few schools on the island that has both Greek and Turkish Cypriot students.
Political parties across the spectrum yesterday united in condemnation of the attack.
AKEL spokesman Andros Kyprianou expressed his party’s concern over the “phenomena of nationalism and chauvinism, which appear in the Greek Cypriot community”, but added that the same feelings also exist in the Turkish Cypriot community, “which unfortunately some people appear to be encouraging”.
THE ENGLISH School yesterday issued a statement strongly condemning the incident.
“Such barbaric actions not only harm our culture, but they also serve the interests of our country’s enemies, who falsely claim that Greek and Turkish Cypriots cannot coexist.”
The school said it had called on the police to intensify investigations, and make the culprits answer to the law with exemplary punishments.
“The School gives warm congratulations to the teachers and Greek Cypriot pupils who intervened and protected the Turkish Cypriot pupils and forced the bullies to make an escape,” read the announcement.
The school’s management and parents’ committee categorically denied Simerini’s claims that the School’s pupils were ordered not to wear a crucifix at school.
“Such publications do not contribute to the cultivation of an appropriate climate for the School’s smooth operation. The School, which is the only multi-communal state school [in Cyprus], puts great efforts into offering a high level of education to all children, respecting their national origin, culture, language and religion.”
