Nicosia, Cyprus. Queer Collective said incidents in which rainbow flags were placed on Easter bonfires and burned reflect broader social and institutional failures in Cyprus. The group said the acts were reported in multiple areas during Holy Saturday celebrations.
Incidents reported for second consecutive year
For the second year in a row, rainbow flags were placed on lambradjies and burned during Holy Saturday celebrations, with incidents reported across Cyprus.
Call to focus on causes, not only condemnation
The group said public debate had focused on condemning the acts rather than examining underlying causes, stating, “we spent the week debating the act, not examining what produced it”. It said it was intervening to shift the discussion, adding that “the cycle of condemnation without analysis has run its course” and that it was “not interested in another round of press statements that change nothing”.
Reference to legal provisions and lack of convictions
Queer Collective noted that hate speech based on sexual orientation and gender expression has been a criminal offence since 2015. It said “not a single conviction has been secured in eleven years”, calling this “a failure in itself”, while also arguing that enforcement alone would not resolve the issue. “You can fine every person who puts a flag on a lambradjia and next year someone else will do it,” the statement said.
Symbolism and framing of the act
The group said replacing the traditional effigy of Judas with a rainbow flag “is not generic homophobia” but “a specific claim that LGBTQIA+ people are traitors to the nation”. It said this aligns with narratives linking identity issues to perceived threats to national identity, describing it as “nationalism with a target”.
Who appears to be involved
Queer Collective said images from the recent incidents show “teenagers and young men in their early twenties”.
What do you think should change to address the underlying causes behind these incidents?
