This year, an ‘informal’ meeting is set for December 13. It’s not organized by citizens or social groups. Instead, it’s by those who know how to create tension in the city. The outcome? Police and Fire Brigade on standby, roads monitored, and society holding its breath—without knowing why.
By Christina Pelekanou
Every year, certain dates allow for foolishness. No reason is needed, no demands, not even a cause. Just the date on the calendar. So, December 13 becomes for some an excuse, not a day for remembrance or reflection. The scene is all too familiar. Small, dangerous incidents. Fires with no target. Objects blocking the roads. Authorities on high alert. And society watches, tired of the same old story. Not because something is being claimed, but because ‘it happens every year.’
After the fire is out and the incident logged, the Fire Brigade moves on to… another act of foolishness. The burnt debris stays on the road, creating an accident risk. Yet, no one knows why this mindless act happened. If there was a purpose, we would see it. But there isn’t. Just repeated, reckless stupidity that gives meaning to meaningless dates.
The latest incident in Nicosia, in Geri, involved a burning bin in the middle of the main road. It was just another example of this pattern. An act without a message or thought for the consequences. If a driver had crashed into that burning bin, we wouldn’t be discussing ‘symbolism.’ We would be talking about negligence and human cost.
And what was the real reason? No one knows. A reaction? A message? Or just the usual ‘we have nothing better to do’? To put a bin in the road, set it on fire, and call it an act of resistance? This act is anything but ‘brave.’ It shows nothing but mindless behavior dressed up as false bravado.
If an unsuspecting driver hit that burning bin, it wouldn’t be heroic or symbolic. It would simply be a dangerous action with potentially tragic results.
Those who think they are ‘fighting the system’ with these acts are doing the opposite. They don’t harm the authorities. They don’t weaken any system. Instead, they keep police officers and firefighters alert—people who are not enemies but those who will respond first if something goes wrong—even due to their own foolishness.
Once upon a time, even reactions had limits and meaning. Today, it has become a dangerous habit without purpose or responsibility. This isn’t called resistance; it’s simply indifference to human life.
