GTV EXT & SVs Students and children march with banners and flags through street. (4 shots)

GTV Procession through park

GV Procession along road

TV & SV Police keeping counter-demonstrators back

SV Church bells

GTV Demonstrators massed outside Archbishop's Palace

SV Demonstrators on rooftops.

GTV Crowd

LV, MV & TV Makarios on balcony waving at crowd cheering below (3 shots)

SV s & TV Makarios on balcony, crowd waving, Makarios on balcony waving (3 shots)
Initials BB/1450 DME/MR/BB/1500 We draw your attention to our Prod. No. 2800/72: CYPRUS -- HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS ASKS ARCHBISHOP MAKARIOS TO RESIGN AS CYPRIOT PRESIDENT -- serviced 3 March, 1972.
Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: More than fifty-thousand people gathered outside the residence of Archbishop Makarios in Nicosia on Friday (3 March) to demonstrate their support for him in his struggle with the Greek Government and the bishops of his Cyprus Orthodox Church.

Three Cypriot bishops had earlier demanded that Archbishop Makarios resign from the presidency on the grounds that under the law of the Orthodox Church an Archbishop should not hold temporal power.

The three bishops--representing the sees of Kitium, Paphos and Kyrenia--were expected to fly to Greece during the weekend.

At the same time as the mass demonstration outside the residence of Archbishop Makarios, the island's House of Representatives was meeting elsewhere in Nicosia. It passed a resolution backing the Archbishop and urging him to stay on as President.

SYNOPSIS: Support for President Makarios of Cyprus. Thousands of people marched towards his residence in Nicosia on Friday to shout encouragement in his dispute with the Greek Government and his Cyprus Orthodox Church. This march was organised less than twenty-four hours after three bishops demanded that Archbishop Makarios resign the presidency--on the grounds that under the law of the Orthodox Church an Archbishop should now hold temporal power.

Anti-Makarios demonstrators turned out too--but police kept the opposing crowds apart.

Church bells pealed throughout Nicosia as the huge crowd gathered outside the Archbishop's residence. Fifty thousand people took up the chant--"Makarios and only Makarios".

As the crowd became more fervent, the 59-year-old President appeared on the balcony of his home to acknowledge the cheers. He's been the president of Cyprus since the island gained its independence from Britain in 1960. So far, he's made no public comment about the demands of his bishops.

Reports from Nicosia say any move to replace Archbishop Makarios would probably involve a vote among all Greek Cypriot to determine his right to lead the people in both church and state in affairs.