Let’s try to look at this from another angle. Picture a group of 16-year-olds. The most confident ones are in charge. Those with excessive self-assurance and apparent certainty. Those who always want to be the centre of attention, by any means.
They’re usually male, speak loudly, joke around, and manage to impose themselves. The rest follow, fearing ridicule, worried about being labelled or isolated.
And then there are some who would never be swayed. They refuse to ride whatever wave is fashionable, despite the cost. Let them be labelled, let them be ostracised.
In the photo of students giving Nazi salutes, very likely mimicking Musk (obviously aware of the symbolism), there are twenty children. Boys in the back rows and girls in front.
The boys appear to be taking an oath, ready to join some fascist battalion. Only two dare to keep their hands down, even tensing their shoulders (as visible in the photo).
Among the girls, one seems to be raising her hand to answer a question in class, another appears to be thinking “should I do it or not?”, another casually raises both hands, another extends her hand as if trying to clean a window, and another has one arm in a splint, thus having a good excuse for the tough classmates to not participate in the foolishness. Only one girl deserves full marks from the ringleader.
In a few years, perhaps these children, with some exceptions of course, will want this photograph to disappear. They’ll be ashamed of that moment.
Is it naive to think that fascist ideology cannot have penetrated so deeply into Cypriot society? That this photo doesn’t reflect reality but rather a youthful craziness that will pass?
Of course, even if it’s not naive, the fact that fascist ideology has become so normalised that some people, especially students, would even joke about it, is not at all reassuring.
What we’re seeing may not be three or five future adults who will endorse far-right beliefs and proceed through life hating anything that doesn’t resemble them.
The others may simply be children who, at this stage, cannot differentiate themselves from those who lead the charge into foolishness, which can be both unhealthy and dangerous.
But what about the adults who were present? The teachers, the photographer – how did they react? Did they say the children were just joking?
Even as a joke it shouldn’t be allowed, but even if it was meant to be funny, why did they let 20 children expose themselves in a way that will make them ashamed (as we at least hope)?
