The nation’s watchdogs

Opinion corruptionpolice brutalityprotests The nation’s watchdogs Os Dame Relevant News Citizens’ daily ordeal on the roads 23 June 2026 The nation’s watchdogs 23 June 2026 Historic objects, Cypriot art and rare textiles attract Strong collector interest at Cypria Auctions 23 June 2026 Diana Aza 23 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber It was February 13, 2021, when the slogan “Os Dame” first appeared — a call to protest by eight Cypriot collectives against corruption, division, and state arbitrariness. The violent crackdown in Kolokasi Park, unprecedented by local standards, sparked one of the largest marches ever seen in the country on the twentieth of February. Ten thousand people took to the streets of Nicosia, chanting against oppression and police brutality. All this unfolded against the backdrop of the Golden Passports scandal revealed by Al Jazeera, the deadlock on the Cyprus issue, and the increasingly obvious common denominator: a corrupt political system. The third mass march of Os Dame also marked a shift in the government’s tactics. As the movement gained traction and demonstrated its social roots, a political effort was orchestrated to turn it into an internal enemy, supposedly more dangerous than the very corruption it was exposing. Loukas Fourlas was the ideal figure to do the job. The phrase “government in the south” in a movement statement was twisted into “government of the South,” with the Member of the European Parliament refusing to acknowledge the difference between geographic and political references. And just like that, Os Dame became the “black cat” that the nation’s watchdogs rushed to tear apart — parliamentarians, political parties, ministers, even Nikos Anastasiades himself. “Traitors,” “Turkey’s mouthpieces,” “unacceptable,” “harmful,” “provocative” — these were some of the epithets hurled during that period, as the crowd rallied around the bait of patriotism tossed into the sea of populism. Five years later, the report on Makarios Drousiotis’ “Mafia State” case was published, implicating figures across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as law enforcement mechanisms. At the centre of it all: the former President of the Republic and former President of the Democratic Rally, Nikos Anastasiades. Among the cases examined was Dromolaxia, where he allegedly made “unfair interventions” to advance the interests of a private company. The Turkish claimant to the property is reported to have “illegally entered from the occupied to the free areas of Cyprus with accompaniment,” while inspectors concluded that this occurred “following the intervention/directions of former President Nikos Anastasiades, despite the absence of a legal basis granting the President discretion to bypass the existing legal framework.” Today, however, none of the nation’s watchdogs seem to be barking. No Democratic Rally Member of the European Parliament has stepped forward to label the former President’s actions as “unpatriotic.” Apparently, they were not even “harmful and provocative to our cause,” as Loukas Fourlas had claimed about Os Dame in two thousand and twenty-one. The real traitors were those who warned about the rot at the heart of the system — not those selling patriotism while simultaneously (re)selling their own country. Perhaps, though, those people always made sure to spell “Republic of Cyprus” correctly, even if at times they seemed to confuse it with an auction. Work by the painter G. Gavriel inspired by the events of the thirteenth of February. In the background, the banner of “Aeriko,” one of the collectives of “Os Dame,” can be seen, referencing the case that returns to the spotlight today. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Citizens’ daily ordeal on the roads Historic objects, Cypriot art and rare textiles attract Strong collector interest at Cypria Auctions Strong results for significant Cypriot artists at Cypria Auctions Rare 18th century embroideries achieve full sell-through at Cypria Auctions Cyprus fast-tracks 10,000 homes as rent and property prices bite Cyprus microplastics not a new problem, research centre says Larnaca DLGO threatens evacuation of dangerous Filanta building (photos) Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.