History

13 Apr 1921

In a dispatch to Winston S Churchill, British colonial administrator Malcolm Stevenson informed him of disturbances in Nicosia on 6 and 7 April, on the anniversary of Greek Independence Day

 

In a dispatch to Winston S Churchill, British colonial administrator Malcolm Stevenson informed him of disturbances in Nicosia on 6 and 7 April, on the anniversary of Greek Independence Day: 

It has been the custom each year on the occasion of this anniversary for the Greek Church to hold a Te Deum Service and for the other ceremonies to take place; but this year very elaborate programmes were drawn up for celebrations in the principal towns of an unprecedentedly large scale. These programmes, which were not divulged till the 1st and 2nd of April, when they appeared in the newspapers, included, in addition to the customary religious services and other celebrations, organised processions through the streets with Greek Army flags and bands, the singing of the National (i.e. the Greek) Anthem, torchlight processions, the salutation of the Greek flag by the firing of mortars. Soldiers who had served in the Greek Army were ordered by the organising Committees to attend the processions in their military uniforms and it was stated that the bands would play national warlike airs (εθνικά θούρια). I attach translated copies of the programmes prepared for Nicosia and Limassol.