Cyprus-Forum.com

[Svetlana]

I fear that if Le Pen was pro-Trukish and anti-Greek, he would be described as a racist (as he is) and not allowed into Cyprus.

Lana

[Piratis]

Svetlana, do you know anybody that was not allowed in Cyprus because he is anti-Greek? How come the ones that are racists against us are welcomed and the ones that are racists against the Turks should not be welcomed?
I didn't say we should agree with any of his racist approaches. What I say is that we shouldn't react in such a negative way against him when we are so tolerant with the others.

[bg_turk]

Scathing welcome for Le Pen
By Leo Leonidou

JEAN-MARIE Le Pen, President of the French National Front yesterday arrived in Cyprus for a six-day visit to growing protests.

KISA (Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism) yesterday issued a press release condemning Le Pen’s visit.

“Yesterday, on October 28, the day that symbolises the struggle of the Greek and Cypriot people against Hitler’s fascist rule, Le Pen chose to begin his visit to the island.

“He is one of the symbolic leaders of the neo-fascist, neo-nazi movement in Europe and is a nostalgic perpetrator of the abominable Hitlerite ideology and policies.

“Taking advantage of the continuing unemployment, poverty and other socio-economic problems, including the serious blows that the welfare state is still receiving from the neo-liberal policies of consecutive French governments and as a result of globalisation, Le Pen is using vulnerable groups such as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as scapegoats for all these social ills, with the ultimate aim of bringing about the segregation and inequality of the races and the exclusion of other vulnerable and different social groupings. A model that led the world to an unprecedented catastrophe and the Holocaust, which according to his notorious statement, ‘is a mere detail of history’.

“As in France and the rest of Europe, Le Pen’s visit to Cyprus – despite his hiding under the respectability of a Member of European Parliament – is a provocation to all democratic, anti-racist, anti-fascist people because it aims to strengthen the racist and chauvinistic circles in Cyprus, which want to promote the irreconcilability of co-existence and co-operation between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, migrants and the local population.

“By skilful usage of sensitivities emanating from the Cyprus problem, Le Pen proposes that Turkish culture and Islam are ‘lower’ and hence irreconcilable with the ‘higher’ European ideals. By doing that, not only does he not help the Cyprus problem, he actually rekindles it.

“For all these reasons, we, along with the Workers Democracy, Youth of New Cyprus Party, Youth against Nationalism, the Federation of Environmental and Ecological Organisations, Youth of Ecological Party, Baraka Cultural Centre, the Association of Recognised Refugees and the Organisations of Migrant Communities in Cyprus, declare our opposition to the visit and our determination to deter him from achieving his plans. We call on all democratic organisations, political parties, trade unions and NGO’s to oppose his visit to our country.”

A demonstration was scheduled to take place yesterday evening at 7.30pm and also next Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Limassol, where Le Pen is scheduled to give a presentation.

Bravo, Leo Leonidou! Say no to racism of any kind shape or form.

[ELLAS H TEFRA!]

What if you hate a segment of the world's population that doesnt belong to a race??

[Sotos]

Here are the latest news

ANTI-RACIST groups have called on the public to gather in Limassol tonight to protest against the visit of French National Front leader and MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen.

KISA (Action for Equality, Support and Anti-Racism) yesterday called on “all democrats, male and female, who are against racism and fascism” to protest against the arrival of Le Pen.

The organisation has also urged the Holiday Inn in Limassol, which is to host a lecture by Le Pen to withdraw the facility. He had originally been due to speak at the Four Seasons, which changed its mind in face of the public pressure.

The protest will take place today at 4.30 pm outside the Holiday Inn.
KISA said yesterday more than 100 Greek and Turkish Cypriots had gathered at Larnaca Airport on Friday to protest against the right-wing politician’s visit.

Le Pen arrived on the island on Friday for a six-day visit, accompanied by his wife, who is of Greek origin.

According to an announcement made by Le Pen’s office, his address this afternoon will focus on Turkey’s accession to the EU, the Cyprus problem and Cyprus’ development within the Union.

In a statement issued on Friday, KISA described Le Pen as “one of the symbolic leaders of the neo-fascist, neo-nazi movement in Europe and a nostalgic perpetrator of the abominable Hitlerite ideology and policies.”
The Green Party issued a statement yesterday protesting against the visit.
“We are expressing our complete opposition to the extreme and fanatical opinions of the Le Pen’s party,” the statement read, adding, “The Cypriot public does not want the support of Mr Le Pen and the fascist elements that he represents.”

A scheduled meeting with political party ADIK leader Dinos Michaelides, which had been planned for yesterday morning at 10.30 am, was cancelled.

A spokesman for Michaelides said yesterday the reason for this was that the ADIK leader was in the UK and wouldn’t be arriving back in time for the meeting.

It was not clear whether the meeting would be rescheduled.

Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said yesterday there was no contact between the government and the French politician. “No meeting took place between Mr Le Pen and the Cypriot Republic.”

Tasos Mitsopoulos, spokesman for right-wing DISY, likewise said no meeting would take place with Le Pen. “Our European political team is clearly against Le Pen’s policy,” he said yesterday.

Parties AKEL and DIKO also said they would not meet Le Pen.
Infamous for stating in 1987 that nazi death camps were “a mere detail” of World War ll, Le Pen was convicted of incitement to racial hatred by casting doubt on the nazi persecution of Jews and Gypsies under a French law banning such rhetoric. He was fined around £110,000.

The National Front has made no secret of its desire to curb immigration in France, and has also been accused of anti-Semitism. In February of this year, Le Pen accused President Jacques Chirac (who beat him in the run-off to the presidential elections of 2002) of being “in the pay of Jewish organisations”.

In 2002, Le Pen stunned France by beating the Socialist candidate into third place and force a run-off with Chirac. Earlier this month, he officially announced his candidacy for the country’s next Presidential elections, which will take place in May 2007.

Organisations opposing the National Front leader’s visit include Workers’ Democracy, the Youth of New Cyprus Party, Youth Against Nationalism, the Federation of Environmental and Ecological Organisations, Youth of Ecological Party, Baraka Cultural Centre, the Association of Recognised Refugees and the Organisations of Migrant Communities in Cyprus.

[Piratis]

And here is the epilogue:

PROTESTERS booed journalists yesterday for attending a press conference by controversial French MEP Le Pen. The event was due to be held at the Four Seasons hotel, where Le Pen is staying, but was relocated to the Holiday Inn after the former came under pressure to deny him a platform from which to speak.

The president of the French National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen arrived in Cyprus on Friday as part of a six-day visit to the island, although he has not met with any political officials because they either refused to meet him or cancelled any scheduled meetings.

Le Pen, known for advocating strong anti-immigration policies and tough law enforcement policies, is a staunch opponent of Turkish admission to the EU. He has been strongly criticised for his perceived xenophobia and anti-Semitism, a perception stemming from comments he has made and positions he has taken as well as from his acquaintance with former Vichy France and Nazi officials.

Limassol police blocked the west wing entrance of the Limassol hotel as the press conference was about to begin. Protestors gathered in front of the police, chanting “The people don’t forget the fascists and the tanks” and “Out, fascists, from Cyprus”.
A row broke out when Le Pen’s aides demanded journalists show identification for admission. “You want to ask us for ID?” one cameraman replied. “Fine, we don’t need to come in. You can hold your press conference alone.”

Once it became apparent that the journalists were about to turn away en masse, the Le Pen aide abandoned his demand for identification. Protestors booed journalists as they filed into the building, crying “Shame on you, shame on the journalists!”
Protest chants and bullhorn blasts continued unabated throughout the press conference, disrupting Le Pen’s talk several times.

During the protest, Phaedon Vasiliades of the Worker’s Party told the Cyprus Mail that Le Pen was bringing “the poison of racism and nationalism” to Cyprus, adding that the French politician had, among other things, called Nazi gas chambers “a detail in history”, faced prosecution in 1997 for physically assaulting a Socialist candidate, and “been among the torturers in the time of Algiers [the Algerian War of Independence], although he is currently protected by amnesty.”

“I believe that no one should give him a forum to speak, with the same logic that you don’t allow a rapist to sit on the panel with the victims,” Vasiliades said, adding that Le Pen was “the flagship of all the Neo-Nazis of Europe.”

“He’s not just another conservative politician. He’s a very dangerous man. This moment, if he takes power, he will prevent all of us from speaking. We should not allow fascists to speak.”

The protest raises questions regarding freedom of speech, since freedom of speech by definition means allowing the speech of groups that you oppose and even detest.
But anti-racism group KISA representative Doros Michail did not think this was a freedom of speech issue.

“He [Le Pen] is not a man who is lacking forums to speak in,” Michail told the Cyprus Mail. “What we want to do is stress that he is unwelcome in this country.”
Michail said Le Pen blames all problems in France on migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and so his views are particularly dangerous in Cyprus with its 11,000 asylum seekers, 50-60,000 migrant workers and growing numbers of refugees.
“We have enough problems in Cyprus with racism, so we want to show him and his supporters that there is no space in Cyprus for leaders like this. His ideas would cause enormous problems here.”

In his speech, Le Pen spoke out against EU membership for Turkey, saying that the Turkish nation is not a European nation. “I do not understand the silence of the political leaders here,” Le Pen said, adding that he would “be more strict” on opposing the membership of Turkey.

Le Pen said that France needed a “strong policy”, adding that the country had been “ruined” by a policy of uncontrolled immigration. The French MEP denied he was racist or xenophobic.

Earlier Le Pen had said that he was “a little shocked by one of your colleagues.” He then referred to a recent Cyprus Mail article written about him with the subtitle ‘A nostalgic perpetrator of the abominable Hitlerite ideology’. The subtitle, which was in quotations, was a direct quote from the article by the head of an anti-racism group.
Le Pen said that placing that quote in so prominent a position was “mistaken” and made the following comparison: “It is as if I were to say I have met some Cypriots who told me that the Director of the Cyprus Mail was a paedophile and a defender of the eroticisms of the Marquis de Sade.”

The Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th century, known for frank, philosophical writings, which were often laden with pornography and sexual violence. Many of his books were completed either in prison or in a mental asylum. The word sadism comes from him name.

Well, I didn't know that the Director of the Cyprus Mail is a paedophile!

[BirKibrisli]

While I abhor everything Le pen stands for,I don't think that forbidding him to come into Cyprus,or trying to block him from speaking,are compatible with a free and democratic country.As long as he is not breaking any laws,and I assume there are laws in the RoC that outlaws inciting hatred and violence against an identifiable group of people (someone please correct me if my assumption is wrong),he should be able to speak his mind freely.
These ratbags thrive on publicity such as he has been getting in Cyprus.If people and the media just ignored them they will be thrown into the garbage bin of history in no time.That is the best way to deal with them.Strong and public opposition only serves their aims.

[ELLAS H TEFRA!]

20 Chinese-Turkish-Cypriots with AKEL flags and Che Quevara T-Shirts is not a demonstration. Its a special episode of A.M.A.N

[Black Cat]

Lepen is a fashist and belongs to the far right wing. He would of been delighted to meet hitler himself and doesnt care about the cypriot people, or the millions of people killed in the world wars, or even the ded in irak...He just doesnt want turkey to join europe for economical reasons. Anyway personaly im against europe, as it is just a way of all the big companies to get together and strengthen capitalism. As for lepen.. "No freedom to the enemies of freedom!"

[BirKibrisli]

Lepen is a fashist and belongs to the far right wing. He would of been delighted to meet hitler himself and doesnt care about the cypriot people, or the millions of people killed in the world wars, or even the ded in irak...He just doesnt want turkey to join europe for economical reasons. Anyway personaly im against europe, as it is just a way of all the big companies to get together and strengthen capitalism. As for lepen.. "No freedom to the enemies of freedom!"

Hello,Black Cat,and welcome to the forum.
The world would definitely be a better place when the likes of Le Pen are not walking on it.I feel that his opposition to Turkey's entry is more than on economic grounds.He is a racist,so he believes turks and muslims are inferior to himself.BTW,can you translate your signature so those of us who cannot read Greek understand.?