The slogan “Bring them Back” echoed all over the British Museum!

Official Press Release from Cypriot Student METOPO UK, dated 25 October 2010

The afternoon of Saturday October 23^rd outside the British Museum, was strikingly different to any other. The flashes of the visitors were immortalising not any of the Museums’ stolen exhibits, but rather, the demonstrators standing in the front yard of the Museum, who wearing black t-shirts, holding banners and placards, were conveying the demand of the Hellenes anywhere in the world: “Bring Them Back”.

The demonstration for the return and restoration of the Parthenon Sculptures, organised by the ‘METOPO Cypriot Student Movement UK’ and the non-governmental organisation ‘Artclick’, under the campaign “Bring Them Back”, was an ultimate absolute success, as the people embraced it and dynamically became part of it.

    
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The visitors of the Museum, informed as they were by the students of METOPO who were distributing leaflets regarding the Parthenon sculptures and the “Bring Them Back” campaign outside the Museum, were now facing, along with the demonstrators, reality: the Hellenic civilisation is the Hellenic Pride and the protests of the Hellenes for their stolen dignity are completely just.

The President of METOPO, Marios Nicolaou, delivered a resolution to the competent authorities of the Museum, demanding the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece, as well as analyzing and crushing their cheap and untrue arguments regarding the so-called protection of the marbles. Of course, the sculptures were not returned. However, we are under no circumstance willing to stop here. The demonstration that took place last Saturday was only the beginning. We understand that our struggle for the reinstatement of the Parthenon Sculptures will be long and difficult, but we feel that it is our duty to be part of this campaign, for as long as these Hellenic cultural treasures is held unlawfully in the country where our movement is based.

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From now on, the restoration and return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece has become an aim and purpose to us. We reserve and promise, that each and every time, the British authorities will hear an even louder “Bring Them Back”, from the autonomous students of METOPO. This campaign will be over and we will complacent, only when we are able to flaunt the sculptures, reunited after almost 200 years, inside the new Acropolis Museum.

    

 

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Huge sucess: Metopo's "Bring Them Back" demonstration for the Parthenon Sculptures

The grassroots Cypriot Student Movement 'METOPO', in cooperation with Actclick, carried out a very successful demonstration outside the British Museum. Congratulations to the students of Metopo and we hope that more such activities will take place!

sources: Elginism.com 24 and 27 October 2010 and Metopo.org.uk

The Parthenon Marbles reunification protest outside the British Museum yesterday was well attended – by my counting, there were over fifty people there, despite the rather chilly weather. There was quite a bit of interest from some of the people passing by & I got a chance to meet the organisers of the event. Unfortunately the British Museum limits the duration of such protests to fourty minutes – which has the effect of limiting the impact of them to people passing by during that time period.

Demonstration for the return of Parthenon's sculptures by Metopo and Actclick

The very active grassroots, democratic Cypriot Student Movement METOPO, based in the UK, is organizing, along with the Greek "Actclick" a demonstration outside the British Museum in London on the 23rd of October 2010 demanding the return of the Parthenon sculptures back to Hellas. The demonstration is part of the wider "Bring Them Back" campaign. We call all Greek students and residents in London to join them, along with everyone that believes the antiquities should be returned to their rightful owners. 

For more information on Metopo: http://www.metopo.org.uk
For more information on the Bring Them Back campaign: http://www.bringthemback.org

We copy the related Press Resease of Metopo (in Greek):

Metopo sends a letter to David Cameron: "The imaginary isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the violation of Cypriot’s human rights"

We copy here a letter sent to the Prime Minister of Britain David Cameron by the young activists of Cypriot Student Movement METOPO in the UK. Metopo is a democratic grassroots movement, founded in 2006 and has been officially represented in the Union of Cypriot Students of UK. It has representatives in most UK Universities and Colleges and has been active in countering Turkish propaganda in the UK and elsewhere. 

source: Cypriot Student Movement METOPO UK (www.metopo.org.uk)
date: 09 October 2010

The imaginary isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the violation of Cypriot’s human rights

Dear Prime Minister,

As a Cypriot student movement in the United Kingdom, we feel the need to express our shock and dismay for the demonstration organised on Sunday at Trafalgar Square by the “TRNC freedom” movement, which calls upon the recognition of the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” by Yourself and the people of the United Kingdom.

The so-called Turkish republic of Northern Cyprus is a pseudo-entity that nobody else recognised except the aggressor itself, Turkey. It is nothing more and nothing less than the outcome of the illegal invasion and occupation of the island, and the legalisation of the fait accompli of Turkey’s aggressions. We want to make it explicit that the northern part of Cyprus has never been ethnically Turkish. Greek and Turkish Cypriots have cohabitated in the whole island throughout recent history. It was only after the Turkish invasion and occupation that the Turkish army has violently displaced all the Greek-Cypriot inhabitants from the north. Based on clear plans of ethnocide, they have forcibly changed the names of towns and villages, from Greek to Turkish and systematically destroyed or desecrated ancient Greek monuments and Christian places of worship that were a testament to the true historical character of Cyprus. Thus, “TRNC” constitutes an illegal regime and there is no question of international recognition for it, as there is a decision adopted by the International Community and confirmed by United Nations and the European Community. Particularly, UN Security Council Resolution 541/1983, dated 18 November 1983, declares the proclamation of the establishment of the “TRNC” legally invalid and calls upon all states ‘not to recognise any Cypriot State other than the Republic of Cyprus.’ Also, Resolution 550, dated 11 May 1984, calls upon all states ‘not to facilitate or in anyway assist the aforesaid secessionist entity (meaning “TRNC”)’.

Our country was barbarically invaded by Turkey on the 20th July 1974. Over 5,000 people were murdered in the process, most of these being unarmed civilians, women, men, children and old people. 200,000 Greek Cypriots were uprooted, and made refugees in their own country to this day. Well over 160,000 unlawful Turkish Anatolian Settlers were imported to the island by Turkey in order to fill the vacuum left after the persecution of the refugees. More than a thousand souls are still missing, presumed to be murdered and what’s left of them scattered all over the occupied area, and ever since 1974 Turkey still occupies 37% of the island with the might of over 43,000 strong Turkish Army. In the occupied area, over 500 Christian Churches and cemeteries have been desecrated by the Turks, and turned into stables, toilets, mosques, coffee shops and even night clubs. 800 Greek Cypriot women, young girls and even elders were barbarically raped and murdered by the Turks in 1974, in front of their families. Horrific narration of Turkey’s atrocities were published in unprecedented detail in the British newspaper “The Sun” on 5th August 1974, and two years later were officially confirmed and condemned by the Council of Europe. Turkey was found guilty as charged.

The Turkish Cypriot claims of isolation are nothing but a myth. The Republic of Cyprus has always held its doors open for them, and they were always free and able to enjoy their rights and benefits as lawful citizens of the state. They are free to acquire a Passport and Identification Card of the Republic of Cyprus, and enjoy their full rights as European Citizens. The only ones not able to do so are the Turkish Settlers, which of course are not lawful citizens of the state. The Cyprus problem is not the fake isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, but the fact that Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and since then, a large part of a sovereign country is still under illegal military occupation.

On the contrary, barbed wires block the way for the Greek Cypriots to enter the occupied area in order to visit the graves of their loved ones, unless they demonstrate a valid ID, as if they are to visit another country. People die, with the hope to return to their ancestral homes remaining a far-fetched dream. The so-called “TRNC” violates the human rights of the Greek Cypriots, and simultaneously the rights of the Turkish Cypriots who because of the Turkish propaganda believe that the European Community and the United Nations are guilty for their imaginary isolation.

We ask from the new British Government, which promised to respect human rights and justice, to consider the people of Cyprus whose rights are being violated to this day. We ask to block the way to this Turkish illegal demand. Besides, the UN Security Council Resolutions are clear and prohibit any recognition of the secessionist entity and no assistance or cooperation with it.

We thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Marios Nikolaou
President
‘METOPO’, Cypriot Student Movement UK

Read the full press release in Greek here: http://www.metopo.org.uk/dt2010010009-trncfreedom.html