The mass rally of 28th June 1959. The people demand the lifting of the ban on AKEL
3rd July 2016 “HARAVGI” daily newspaper
90th anniversary of the Communist Party of Cyprus – AKEL
The mass rally of 28th June 1959
By Yiannakis Colocasides, member of the Central Committee of AKEL
Masses of people gather on their way to the rally of 28th June
The signing of the Zurich-London Agreements in February 1959 marked the beginning of the process to declare the independence of Cyprus. The state emergency was terminated. The concentration camps were abolished. All political prisoners were released and a general amnesty had been announced. Makarios and all the exiles returned to Cyprus. The Transition Commission was established to which power was gradually transferred and it began to function as a provisional government.
And while all these unprecedented developments were happening surrounding Cyprus, AKEL was still outlawed and in illegality since December 1955 given that the decree issued by British colonialism banning the Party and a number of Popular Organizations and newspapers had not been lifted. Evidently the British colonialists, who were still the dominant force, were attempting to implement that specific provision of the secret Karamanlis Menderes Protocol[i], which provided for the continuation of the prohibition of the Communist Party AKEL.
The General Secretary of AKEL Ezekias Papaioannou in his statements to “HARAVGI” newspaper on 11th April 1959 characterizes as a “political scandal the fact that the party of the working people, AKEL, and all the other popular organizations and newspapers are still in illegality”. He demands the immediate lifting of AKEL’s banning, stressing that this “is a matter of political morality and fundamental democratic order.”
The struggle for legalization
Pickets confront the colonial governor Foot
The refusal of the British colonial Governor to lift the prohibition against the Left, refusing even to accept an AKEL delegation, showed that struggles are imperative to achieve this goal. The people of the Left organize mass mobilizations in this struggle. The governor is overwhelmed with resolutions which the local associations/clubs of the Left and organized groups send, demanding the immediate lifting of the ban imposed on AKEL. Mass pickets are organized throughout the whole of Cyprus. Campaigns are conducted to raise people’s awareness and meetings are held. Brochures, pamphlets and posters are published and circulated, while slogans are written on walls demanding the legalization of AKEL. Signatures are collected.
The party leadership raises the issue with Makarios, who states on 21st May that he “fully agrees with the demand for the legalization of AKEL, and raised the matter categorically before the Governor.” Numerous political and social figures, such as the Mayor of Nicosia Th. Dervis, figures from the districts of Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta and Paphos, as well as EDMA[ii] also support the call for the legalization of AKEL.
AKEL’s mobilizations demanding the legalization of the Party, reach a climax with the organization of a mass rally, which takes place in Nicosia at the opening of Ayiou Antoniou on Sunday 28th June 1959. Tens of thousands of people from all over Cyprus gathered in Nicosia to demand the legalization of AKEL. Besides this demand, slogans in favor of unity and the democratic development of the Republic of Cyprus, which was due to be established, were also dominant at the rally. The speakers at the rally were the General Secretary of AKEL Ezekias Papaioannou and the AKEL Mayors Christodoulides of Larnaca, Partasides of Limassol and Pougiouros of Famagusta. In his speech, Papaioannou, apart from projecting the demand for the lifting of the proscriptions against the Left, submitted AKEL’s positions on the various problems Cyprus was facing then, thus outlining the policy that the Party would follow in the early years of Cyprus independence.
The mass rally approved a resolution which, inter alia, underlined that “any attempt to build an independent Republic, at the same time as the banning of the party of the working class and working people continues, is incomprehensible”. Any attempt at monopolizing political life was condemned, while the need for “unity and concord between all Cypriots, Greeks and Turks, regardless of political or other differences” was stressed.
Bright beacon
The front page of “HARAVGI” newspaper after the rally
“HARAVGI” newspaper covered the mass rally in its edition of 30th June, which in fact published and circulated a special six-page edition, as opposed to the usual four-page edition. The newspaper report on the rally wrote among other things the following:
“The 28th June has now gone down in our island’s history full of struggles as one of its brightest beacons, which will light up our difficult path forward. Every corner of Cyprus is vibrating and will still be shaking for a long time from the enthusiasm, the pulse, the conviction and determination of more than 100,000 people who flocked yesterday to the capital to demand the legalization of AKEL, progressive organizations and newspapers, the full restoration of the democratic rights of the people and to stress the need for true popular unity – the only path that can lead our homeland to prosperity and progress.
The rally last Sunday is not only the most magnificent and mass peaceful political event ever seen in Cyprus. It also proves the correctness and popular support of the Left with regards the political, economic and other problems of the country. It represents an overwhelming reply to all the attacks and slanders launched against the Left. The mass rally shows the huge number of masses who follow the party of the working-class, AKEL and demonstrates in the most emphatic manner, that anyone who tries to ignore the Left or to subjugate it is not standing on solid ground and harms the cause of all the people.”
Victory of the people
A view of the rally
And indeed the rally was a resounding answer to many recipients. Among them, the British colonialists, who by banning AKEL, believed that they would eliminate the most consistent anti-imperialist force in Cyprus and also towards Grivas, who believed that with the crimes committed against the Left he had eradicated the party of the working people.
The struggle for the legalization of AKEL continued in the months that were to follow and eventually AKEL’s struggle was completely successful. A few days before the first presidential elections took place, the British colonial governor was forced to publish a decree with which the proscription of the Party was canceled. The people welcomed the lifting of the proscription of AKEL with mass demonstrations.
[i] Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis and his Turkish counterpart Menderes, both NATO countries, agreed and signed a secret protocol for the continuation of AKEL’s prohibition.
[ii] EDMA Eniaion Dimokratikon Metopon Anadimiurgias – United Democratic Reconstruction Front, political movement of former EOKA fighters
