Peloton has apologised and removed its Halloween-themed Peloton Varosha ride after a Greek American group protested its use of Varosha, the Cypriot city emptied by Turkey’s 1974 invasion.
A Peloton spokesperson gave the statement to Kathimerini on Friday 30 October. It came hours after the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) demanded its removal.
“We deeply apologize for the offense caused by this content. It was an oversight that does not reflect our values, and the content has been removed,” the spokesperson said.
In addition, the company said it is strengthening its editorial review checks. “We appreciate the community holding us accountable,” the spokesperson said.
Read more: Cyprus Leaders Turn Up Together at a Peace Festival
What happened to the Peloton Varosha classes
The 15-minute scenic class premiered on 28 October in the Peloton Halloween collection, fitness site The Clip Out reported.
However, it was not the only class to go. A 30-minute Halloween ride that also showed Varosha footage has also left the on-demand library, the site said.
Peloton has not said publicly why that second class went. Meanwhile, the Peloton Varosha removal has had a side effect, as some members say their Halloween challenge count dropped after the removals.
Why Varosha matters
Earlier, HALC had asked for three things. First, remove the Peloton Varosha ride. Second, apologise to Varosha’s displaced residents. Third, review content standards.
“Varosha is not a fictional ghost town or a spooky tourist attraction,” HALC said. Instead, it is “a real community in Cyprus, whose residents were forced to flee during Turkey’s 1974 invasion,” the group said.
For context, before 1974 Varosha was the modern tourist quarter of Famagusta. Since then, the Turkish army has kept most of it fenced off under an illegal occupation.
As a result, its displaced families still cannot return. In September, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides also raised the occupation at the UN.
Source: KATHIMERINI
