A message of peace was sent on Sunday by members of the Limassol carnival’s ‘royal family’ who walked along seafront in lieu of taking part in the annual parade, which was cancelled partly due to the ongoing pandemic and also because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to CNA, the ‘royal family’ decided instead on a public message of peace on the last day of carnival events.

Holding placards reading ‘Peace. Not War’”, they paraded along seafront in their carnival costumes.
In a statement, this year’s Carnival Queen, Vera Efthimiou Parlalidou, said that despite the optimistic mood with which the events began, the war in Ukraine suddenly started, “so we decided to end the carnival with a protest about the war.”

Miltos Papadopoulos, the 2011 Carnival King, said that the rulers of the world must remember what happened in World War II so that the world was not led to a third such conflict.

“We are tired. Peace, not war,” said Andreas Vryonides who was Carnival King in 2015, while Erma Stylianides, Queen of the Carnival 2013, said: “Wars should not exist, neither refugees, nor children without their families and their homes.”

The carnival events are due to end Sunday night at the Carob Mill with the performance ‘Back to the 80’s-90’s, by the six-member band of Tefkros Neocleous.