Larnaca municipality has strongly condemned recent vandalism incidents targeting public monuments and cultural spaces, including the statue of Eoka hero Michalakis Parides and the Mesoyios artists’ park. Unknown individuals threw paint on the Parides statue, damaging a memorial significant to Cyprus’s historical heritage. Additional damage was reported at the artists’ park, where tiles were removed from a fountain following earlier sculptural vandalism.

The municipality described these acts as an unacceptable insult to public property, cultural heritage, and the city’s collective memory. They are being treated as serious offences, with investigations launched and a formal complaint submitted to the police. Michalakis Parides was a key figure in the anti-colonial struggle against British rule, recognized for his leadership within the Larnaca district network and his sacrifice in 1958.

Authorities urged the public to come forward with any information that could aid in identifying those responsible, emphasizing community cooperation to preserve the city's civic heritage and cultural identity.