The events of 5 June 2026, linked to the arrival of the Israeli cruise ship in Syros, paint an extremely negative picture of our island. Social freedoms and the quality of life of its residents were undermined, the historical and cultural heritage of Ermoupoli was brutally violated, and the dignity of the city and its people was wounded—all during a particularly symbolic moment: the 200th anniversary of its founding.
The curfews imposed on pedestrians and vehicles in a large part of the historic center—alongside the omnipresent deployment of dozens of undercover and uniformed police, port officers, riot units (MAT), special forces (OPKE), and most likely foreign agents, all to ensure the unimpeded movement of tourists (*) and restore the prestige of the Israeli state (dented during the Crown Iris’s previous visit to Syros in 2025, when the islanders’ entirely peaceful protest discouraged Israeli tourists from disembarking and turned Syros into an international symbol of resistance), constitute an unprecedented provocation against us all.
The sight of Israeli tourists, shielded and emboldened by the Greek state, flipping the middle finger at peaceful protesters in the heart of Miaoulis Square while boastfully declaring, “We are here, and we will stay here” (**) brutally insults the history of Ermoupoli, our values, and our collective dignity.
Yet everything that has unfolded presents us all with an opportunity for soul-searching: What values do we truly uphold? What values can we take pride in, 200 years after the founding of Ermoupoli?
Do we align ourselves with the values upheld by the citizens of Syros who were banned from moving around their city and who stood peacefully in front of the City Hall shouting with all their might “STOP THE GENOCIDE”? Or do we align ourselves with the values of the police state, which stifles every voice of protest and accompanies as “peaceful tourists”visitors who behave like occupiers and point fingers at us? (***)
Sadly—though some may applaud it—our local leaders and institutional representatives have already chosen their side. Faced with raised middle fingers and blatant provocation, they rushed to declare their subservience, welcoming these visitors with flowers… What a disgrace to our city’s history! What a disgrace to our dignity!
Postscripts:
(*) We condemn the fact that ten of our fellow citizens (including the president and a board member of the Observatory) were arbitrarily taken to the police station before the protest even began, ostensibly for “identity verification” (only to be told, once there, that their detention was “random”).
(**) In the video, the “peaceful Israeli” helpfully clarifies the situation for anyone still in doubt, declaring: “We are here, and we stay here.”
(***) And yes—those flipping the middle finger are hardly “peaceful tourists” who merely disagree with their state’s crimes. If they truly disagreed, they’d be shaking hands with protesters and raising their middle finger at the other side.
07.06.2026
The EQOS’s Board of Directors
