Parents and local officials in Dromolaxia-Meneou have condemned recent vandalism at Kition Gymnasium and are urging the government to reconsider its plan to use schools as shelters for foreign nationals fleeing Lebanon.
The protest follows an incident on Monday where vandals threw stones at the school, breaking approximately 60 windows and defacing walls with gang slogans and swastikas. The school’s multi-purpose hall, recently prepared to accommodate potential arrivals from Lebanon, was also damaged.
Dromolaxia-Menou Mayor Cyprus Andronikou told philenews: “I visited the Kition Gymnasium and found that around 60 windows were broken. Students are attending classes in rooms where the windows are shattered, risking injury.”
Andronikou expressed shock at learning of the shelter plans only last Saturday, stating, “As mayor, I had no information about this matter.”
Costas Costa, president of the Federation of Parent and Guardian Associations of Secondary and Technical Education in Larnaca, condemned the vandalism and called for swift police action. He also voiced concerns about the government’s shelter strategy, saying, “The government had made a plan for the summer when schools were closed. Now that schools have opened, it must examine other options that do not create functionality issues.”
While acknowledging Cyprus’s duty to provide facilities for those fleeing conflict, protesters argue that using operational schools disrupts education for an indefinite period.
Sources indicate plans may exist to use two additional Larnaca schools as shelters if needed.
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