On Sunday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the gates of RAF Akrotiri, a British military base in Cyprus, to protest the UK’s perceived support for Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Waving Palestinian and Cypriot flags, a couple of hundred protesters peacefully chanted “Out with the bases of death,” expressing their opposition to Britain’s involvement in the region’s conflicts. RAF Akrotiri, Britain’s largest military base in the Middle East, has been a focal point for opposition, given its strategic role in past airstrike operations.
The protest followed Britain’s deployment of additional troops to Cyprus last week, a move intended to prepare for the possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes. The escalation in violence included the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, further exacerbating tensions in the region.
The UK operates two military bases in Cyprus, a former British colony, with RAF Akrotiri being a critical site. The base has previously been used as a launch point for airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping. These actions have drawn widespread criticism from local and international groups.
“This is an issue of independence and sovereignty for Cyprus,” said Peter Iosif, a member of the Cyprus Peace Council, which organized the demonstration. “The British bases are acting against the will of the Cypriot people, especially during a time of heightened conflict in the Middle East,” he added.
In response to the protests, a spokesperson for the British bases emphasized that no RAF flights had transported lethal cargo to Israel’s military. “It is standard practice for the UK Ministry of Defence to authorize access to UK air bases for allies and partners, strictly for evacuation and humanitarian purposes,” the spokesperson clarified.
