Nicosia, Cyprus - THIS IS THE ARMY, THIS IS THE CEMETRY. Leaflet given out at the demonstration in Nicosia following the explosion at the naval base

athens indymedia, translated by actforfreedomnow/sysiphus

12/07/2011 - The following text is what was in today's meeting. Printed in 1,000 copies and distributed in the streets of downtown Nicosia and at the protest that took place in Eleutherias Square.

The morning of Monday 11 July a strong explosion in the naval base "Evangelos Florakis" resulted in death including 6 firefighters, 2 soldiers (sailors) and injuring several others. The explosion is the result of criminal negligence of "competent" authorities that were aware of the problem. They chose to do nothing, it seems to avoid some costs of security measures. Of course, having unleashed an incredible witch hunt against the rebellious, they were too busy to deal with the minor issue of an imminent deadly accident.
This contempt for human life is nothing new in this world. We meet it every day at school, in the army [There is still 2 years obligatory military service in Cyprus for all young men], at work - everywhere. The explosion in the naval base was a condensation of these concepts in a murderous time.
The degradation of human life and dignity is deeply intertwined with a sense of militarism and the military machine. The army is an institution built to kill, whether in war or at borders or as "peacekeeping missions" (see Iraq, Bosnia etc). Not only does it kill people but through the imposition of nationalism, hierarchy and strict discipline, it manipulates and kills consciences. As students we can only see it as a continuation of the brainwashing done in schools. An attempt to shape us according to their standards in order to become obedient slaves of the system and all power.
Reference to the criminal past of the Cypriot army deserves to be made, (after which it is at least hypocritical and contradictory to think that only now it is negative) and in Cyprus there is a long list of suicide of soldiers (apart from the psychological problems caused to soldiers) and "accidents", the interweaving and cooperation with the military junta (Greece '67 - '73) and participation in the coup of '74 with tragic consequences.
So much for the National Guard. But in Cyprus there is a theatre of the absurd, since we have neither one nor two, but six armies! (E/K - Greek Cypriot, ELDYK, TOURDYK, Turkish Cypriot, UN and NATO - British bases). Six armed forces on a small island! Why? Because the military is an integral part of a hierarchical system, imposition and oppression, exploitation and social control. In Cyprus, the armies have a very important role in the promotion and perpetuation of ethnic hatred and divisions in the interest of power, who profit on the backs of society under the pretext of the Cyprus issue.
And as for those asking for demissions and making demands, we say that such a logic is simply a way to manipulate people's reactions and reduce them to entreaties to the government. It is necessary to dispel the illusion that a different administration would have another result. Do not blame only some individual ministers and other "responsible" but the whole State system, and all concepts that underpin it. The perceptions that put money above human life, preserve national divisions and military madness and support the incredible cannibalism imposed by the armed forces in uniform worldwide. Our only hope lies in the resistance against any military machine in any power for a free world without borders, without armies, without this disgusting disregard for human life.
NOT SERVING ANY MURDEROUS MACHINE
DOWN WITH ALL ARMIES

PS We send our solidarity with the recruits and those who are forced to suffer the brutality and authoritarian imposition of the army. No hostage in the hands of the armed State!

Student group SKAPOULA (Escaped)