Limassol – the city and district of Resistance
22 July 2018, “Haravgi” newspaper
Article by Yiorgos Georgiou – AKEL Limassol District Organization Secretary and member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL
The treacherous coup d’état of 15 July 1974 and the brutal Turkish invasion of 20 July 1974 constitute treason and the worst crime of destruction committed in Cyprus. The historical facts themselves testify that the betrayal of Cyprus committed in 1974 was the result of foreign interventions and conspiracies, with English-American imperialism at the forefront. To execute their evil plans and illegal aggressions, they found in the Junta of Athens and their tools here in Cyprus, namely Grivas and EOKA B, obedient tools.
The Resistance of the Cypriot people against the coupists of the Greek Junta and the treacherous EOKA B organization was one of the milestones in our country’s history. It is in reality a glorious page in our history. Limassol, the city and the district, justifiably assert the title of the city of Resistance, the city of Democracy. The focal point of the events was the Central Police Station. It was at 8:45 a.m. in the morning, when the fighters of Democracy and the Republic, headed by the Police Lieutenant Elias Kyriakides, undertook to defend the Police Station from the EOKA B coupists, who had begun shooting and attacking the 4th Senior Military Administration of Limassol.
Tasos Savva led his own group of armed fighters in the defense of the station, together with other fighters, Andreas Demetriou and Andreas Adamides, members of AKEL. Likewise, Eftychios Panagiotou, together with other members of AKEL, Panagiotis Panagiotou, Yiannakis Odysseos, Christodoulos Demetriou, Leontios Michail, Andreas Stefanou and Kyriakos Antoniou, also undertook the duty of defending the Police Station in Ayi Yianni. The Resistance in the region of Eupathos, near the roundabout of Ayios Nicolas, was yet another historical point of resistance. The members of AKEL, PEO and EDON Youth Organization, Spyros Petrou, Rakis Nicolaou, Pieris Georgiou, Christakis Aristotelous, Andreas Emmanouil and Petros Antoniou, fought the coupists defending Ayios Nikolaos Police Station.
The Resistance spread across the Limassol countryside. In all the villages, where the Left had an influence, attempts were made by EOKA B to arrest, persecute and commit murders. Pelendri, Eftagonia, Asgata, Phini, Ai Tychonas and Pareklisia were just some of the villages where militants of AKEL were arrested, and in the villages of Ai Tychonas and Pareklisia EOKA B also committed murders, such as those of Christakis Kombos and his comrades, as well as in Pareklisia with the murder of Antonis Andronikou. Kolossi was still a source of Resistance in Limassol. Indeed, it was the point of the clash with the EOKA B coupists, who were heading to Paphos and their delay at Kolossi was of major importance.
The list is long, as regards the events and the heroes. The 15 July coup which lasted 5 days led to the death of 450 people, many of them in Limassol. The result which the Greek junta and their associates the fascists of EOKA B caused was tragic, with 40% of our territories today occupied by Turkey, with dead and missing persons.
Forty-four years onwards, the Resistance, the blood that was shed and the sacrifices of our heroes await vindication. They await the vindication of our homeland and people. They await the reunification and freedom of our homeland. They await the day when Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will be able to live together in a common homeland, in a homeland of peace, security and stability, without guardians and other “protectors”!
