This online article was published in June of 2020 on Facebook by the groups AERIKO in the mountains of Troodos, antifa λευkoşa, Antifa Aradippou, Antifa Oroklini, Dromos Antifascist Collective, Bandiera, Spirithkia andSyspirosi Atakton.

NOW IT’S OUR TURN TO SPEAK

Sunday’s antiracist march was a breath of freedom in the times of modern-day fascism.

Disregarding the threats by cops (in civilian outfits) to impose fines during the beginning of the protest at Eleftheria Square, people stayed put and continued maintaining social distancing. The march commenced, and a 600-strong crowd took over the streets in Nicosia’s city centre, passing by the Ministry of Interior with intensity, passion, and continuous chanting from all parts of the march; people made clear with their voices that migrants are welcome here, and that we won’t tolerate the existence of concentration camps at Pournara or anywhere else.

When the march ended, police started targeting and imposing fines on individuals that were departing from the area, under the directives for covid-19. So far, we are aware of six such instances. The police also filed charges with no merit against 2 individuals, regarding resistance against authority and the aforementioned directives. These cases are in addition to Saturday’s events, when a comrade was charged with ‘’incitement (!) to commit an offence‘’ because they shared the call to march on social media, as well as the threatening phone calls various people received before the protest. We ask that anyone that was fined or charged to contact any of the organising groups so that we can respond collectively. Details regarding this response and financial support for potential judicial costs will be announced shortly.

We have always said and will continue to emphasise that the struggle of the imprisoned migrants at Pournara is our struggle too. Because we can’t and won’t live in a country with concentration camps. Because we have seen first-hand how (anti-)immigration policies are transformed into a militarised control of our daily lives, with patrols, excessive police presence, and the relentlessly-tight embrace of the state in a never-ending authoritarian strategy. Because we know that the harsh exploitation and labelling of migrants as the ‘’enemy from within’’ is a telling sign for the future for all of us, even more so now that an invisible-enemy crisis is being promoted.

The struggle for the liberation of those imprisoned at Pournara continues. Their fortitude, courage and tenacity have a lot to teach us if we keep our eyes and ears open. We fight with them, primarily so that they’re victorious in the demand for immediate release from the camp, and secondly so that their struggle can widen and expand as the starting point for a succession of struggles against racism, fascism and exploitation – for the collective reclaiming of our worth. We keep moving, together, for the next steps…

SOLIDARITY TO MIGRANTS

IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS AT POURNARA

P.S. Get in touch with your local collectives/groups, or make your own. We organise collectively for the hard days to come, and we leave no one behind: solidarity is our only weapon.

AERIKO in the mountains of Troodos

antifa λευkoşa

Antifa Aradippou

Antifa Oroklini

Dromos Antifascist Collective (Larnaca)

Bandiera (Limmasol)

Spirithkia (Limassol)

Syspirosi Atakton (Lefkosia)