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The US-led war against Iraq, which erupted on March 20, has aroused widespread protests in Cyprus.
On the first day of the war, more then 1,000 Cypriots gathered in the central Eleftheria Square in the capital of Nicosia to express their strong indignation at the war with anti-war banners of "No blood for oil!" "Stop the war!"
The demonstrators marched to the US embassy, which is some miles away from the square, and furious students burned US flags and threw eggs at the embassy walls.
The next day, anti-war Cypriots rallied outside the US embassy again. Police blocked off access to the embassy with a ring of barbed wire.
Protesters chanted anti-war slogans -- "Give Bread Not Bombs," and "We won't accept this unfair war," and held signs reading "Bush/Blair you have blood on your hands," "The only casualties in this war will be women and children."
Anti-war protests continued on March 22, with a peaceful demonstration outside the American Radio Station in Nicosia.
Around 200 demonstrators gathered at a Nicosia stadium and marched to the station shouting "we will stop this war," "The new world order is murder," "No facilities to the imperialists" and "Peace no War."
Protests were also seen in other towns of the island country. In southern coastal town of Limassol, western town of Paphos and eastern town of Xylotymbou, students and pupils staged unprecedented huge demonstrations against the US-led war on Iraq.
Before the Iraq war started, trade unions in the country called a 15-minute work stoppage on March 14, expressing their strong opposition to the war and solidarity with the Iraqi people.
The largest-ever show of opposition to war on the island was organized by the two largest and most influential trade union federations -- right-wing SEK and left-wing PEO, in addition to unions representing public workers, teachers, bank employees and journalists.
Shops, factories, banks, schools and public offices were all affected as civil servants and trade unionists took part in the stoppage.
Meanwhile, Cyprus' parliament on March 13 unanimously adopted a resolution against the war on Iraq, saying "unilateral actions outside the UN framework constitute a violation of international order, the principles of the UN Charter and at the same time endangers peace and security."
The Council of Ministers of Cyprus has also expressed its "sadness and opposition" to the war.
More protests are expected to take place in Cyprus over the weekend, while parties and organizations continue to issue statements condemning US policy in the region.
An anti-war demonstration has been planned for Sunday at the British military base of Akrotiri, near Limassol. Demetris Christofias, parliament president and general secretary of the island's largest political party AKEL, will address the demonstration.
AKEL and socialist KISOS party, both are government partners, have called on their followers to participate in the demonstration.
The Social Forum will organize a panel discussion on Saturday at the University of Cyprus under the titles: "The real reason for the US war against Iraq" and "War and information."
The Philosophy School of the Cyprus University, on its part, has passed a resolution condemning the US invasion in Iraq.
(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2003)
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