Chios Celebrates 113 Years of Liberation – Artistic Protest by Amanis Residents

The weather cleared after the morning shower and allowed the parade of school groups, cultural associations, scout units, students from the Merchant Marine Academies, and finally military units to take place in full splendor with large public participation, marking 113 years since Chios was liberated from Ottoman rule.

After the Doxology, a trisagion was held in memory of the fallen, followed by the laying of wreaths at the Heroes’ Monument. The government was represented by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, while the Speaker of Parliament was represented by New Democracy MP Notis Mitarakis.

Also present were NIKI party president Dimitris Natsios, PASOK-KINAL national list MP Panagiotis Doudonis, and Chios MP Stavros Michailidis.

Warm Applause
The public gave particularly warm applause to the students, especially those from special education schools. The unit from the Oinousses Merchant Marine Academy stood out, carrying the flag of Smyrna that was saved in 1922 (central photo).

It should be noted that during the parade of high school and lyceum students, the Director of Secondary Education, Eftyhia Vlysidou, took her place on the podium next to Mr. Georgiadis to pay honors.
Likewise, during the military units’ parade, Brigadier General Charalampos Psaropoulos of the 96th Higher National Guard Battalion Command did the same.
A pair of F-16 fighter jets made two passes over the skies of Chios, paying tribute.

Artistic Protest by Amanis Residents
Strong police forces were deployed to secure the parade in case of incidents, also due to the mobilization of Amanis residents.

However, the residents of Amanis chose a peaceful and artistic approach (a sculpture by Yiannis Kontos depicting a pregnant woman leaning on ruins while protecting an olive tree with her hands), making it clear from the start that they had no intention of causing disturbances, thus honoring this special day.

As the Amanis Defense Committee, they handed a resolution to the Health Minister and protested the shortages in healthcare services in the area. The minister asked whether the Volissos Multi-Purpose Medical Center – multi-purpose in name only – had ever had all the doctors it is supposed to have.

Mr. Georgiadis visited the Volissos Medical Center after the parade and also traveled to Psara.

Statements by Officials

Adonis Georgiadis – Minister of Health:
“Happy anniversary to Chios on this important day. We witnessed very well-organized ceremonies and a very beautiful parade, which brings us great joy.
Together with my colleague MP Mr. Mitarakis, we will visit all the healthcare facilities on Chios and Psara to get a firsthand view of the progress of infrastructure projects and the new doctor appointments we are bringing to Chios.”

Notis Mitarakis – Chios MP, Representative of the Speaker of Parliament:
“The Greek Parliament today honors the anniversary of Chios’s liberation. It honors all those who lost their lives and fought through the centuries so that we can today be a free, strong, and democratic country – a country capable of successfully facing international challenges. Happy anniversary.”

Dimitris Natsios – President of the NIKI Party:
“A day of joy for Chios today. On November 11, 1912, our navy entered the island on the feast day of its patron saint, Saint Minas, raised the blue-and-white flag with the Lord’s cross, and Chios – after centuries of destruction and massacres – was finally free.
Happy anniversary.
And on a current note: today a major nationwide rally is taking place in Athens. Desperate farmers and livestock breeders, facing a failed and incapable government, watch their harvests being wiped out and their sheep and goats slaughtered, while the government does absolutely nothing.
I am speaking mainly about EU subsidies. This government will go down in history as the Augean stables.”

Panagiotis Doudonis – PASOK-KINAL National List MP:
“Today in Chios, we honor the struggles for freedom. We honor the liberation of an island that paid a heavy blood price for the freedom that all of Greece enjoys – a freedom that came to Chios with the First Balkan War. We honor the patriots who fought and sacrificed themselves.
Because, you see, peacetime patriots and super-patriots are different from the patriots who sacrifice themselves in wartime.
It is those real patriots we honor today – those who gave their blood for the freedom of this island and of all Greece.”

Stavros Michailidis – PASOK Chios MP:
“We became a nation when we controlled our seas. Chios was liberated when we controlled the deep-blue Greek Aegean. Happy and free anniversary – long live Chios.”

Pantelis Vroulis – Regional Deputy Governor of Chios:
“Today we honor our nation’s struggles. We honor the struggles for the liberation of Chios from the Ottomans… and we, the younger generation, pledge to continue placing Chios high, where it belongs in history and culture.”