The sirens that sounded again today at 8:20 in the morning served as a chilling reminder that fifty one years have passed since the military coup in Cyprus in 1974. On the first anniversary in 1975, everything was still fresh, and the wounds immense. Then, instead of sirens, at 8:20am—the time the tanks had moved in a year earlier—the bells of all churches in the free areas rang for ten minutes, while flags on public buildings were flown at half-mast. A “nationwide work stoppage” was declared, meaning everything remained closed, and all vehicles were requested to come to a standstill, except those transporting people to rallies.
Day-long events were organised in Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca, with the central gathering taking place in the capital. Following a special session of the House of Representatives, the rally in Nicosia was held in the square in front of the PASYDY building. A march then proceeded to the ruined Presidential Palace, from where the President of the Republic, Archbishop Makarios, addressed a large crowd. In another symbolic act, the mayor of Nicosia, Lellos Demetriades, placed new signs in the capital’s central square, implementing a recent decision to rename it from Metaxas (Ioannis) Square to Eleftherias (Freedom) Square.
Evening events in Nicosia were hosted at the School for the Blind, where the exhibition “Cypriot Resistance Painting and Sculpture” was inaugurated. This was followed by an artistic performance in the School’s amphitheatre. The texts were by Andros Pavlides, and included excerpts from The Persians by Aeschylus and Peace by Aristophanes, along with recitations from Cypriot Symphony by Thodosis Pierides. A musical programme followed, with compositions by Giorgos Kotsonis, Nasos Panayiotou, and Marios Tokas. The programme also featured an excerpt from 9th of July by Vasilis Michaelides, adapted by Kyriakos Chatzigiannou, as a contribution from the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC). The epic poem by Michaelides is also referenced in the front-page headline of the Phileleftheros newspaper of 15 July 1975: “One year after the treachery of the coup. Hellenism in Cyprus remains unyielding.”
Among the rest of the day’s news, a standout item was that the silver medals bearing the image of Makarios (worth twelve, six, and three pounds) sold out in banks, and the announcement of Melina Mercouri’s upcoming visit, along with a television crew, for a tour of refugee camps.
Also read: 51 years since the treacherous coup of 15 July 1974
Source: papapolyviou.com
