Antiwar Coalition to Hold Emergency Protest of British Military Bases in Cyprus Amid U.K.’s Involvement in War on Iran
CODEPINK and the Bases Off Cyprus coalition plan to hold a demonstration scheduled for Friday, March 13, at 6 p.m. outside the Ministry of Defence in London. The protest was organized in opposition to the UK’s involvement in attacks on Iran and Lebanon, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and calls for Britain’s military withdrawal from its bases on Cyprus.
Organizers hope to raise public awareness about the role of foreign military bases in ongoing conflicts and to advocate for an end to British participation in genocide, war, and destabilization in the Middle East. The rally is being called in urgent opposition to the US war on Iran in attacks which are being launched from British bases in Britain, as well as British-occupied Mauritius and Cyprus.
The British bases in Cyprus, particularly RAF Akrotiri, have been instrumental in supporting military operations in the Middle East – including the unprovoked attack on Iran and the genocide in Gaza. These bases have facilitated surveillance flights and the transfer of weapons and personnel, thereby implicating the UK in regional conflicts. The presence of British military installations on the island violates Cyprus’s sovereignty and contributes to regional instability.
The coalition calls for the immediate withdrawal of British and U.S. forces from RAF Akrotiri and the return of the land to Cypriot control.
