![\"Chios](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chios_rocket_war_FB-320x200.jpg?v=1775900967\")
Politicians, business leaders and tourism stakeholders on the eastern Aegean island of Chios have called for the Orthodox Easter \u201crocket-war\u201d celebrations to go ahead this year, despite a recent police crackdown on an illegal fireworks workshop linked to the iconic local tradition.<\/p>\n
In a social media post, the island\u2019s mayor, Yiannis Malafis, shared a photograph of him alongside local MPs Notis Mitarakis of New Democracy and Stavros Michaelides of PASOK, as well as representatives of the business and tourism sectors, urging that the event proceed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe custom of the rocket war, on a limited scale and with enhanced security measures, is supported by all stakeholders, as has been the case for many decades,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The spectacular Easter custom takes place in the village of Vrontados, where youths from two rival parishes set up positions on nearby hills and fire thousands of homemade rockets toward opposing church towers. The churches, along with surrounding buildings, are boarded up in advance to limit damage.<\/p>\n
The call for the event to proceed comes after police last Monday arrested seven people injured in a fire at an illegal fireworks workshop preparing for the missile-firing tradition. Four of those arrested \u2013 three men and one woman \u2013 suffered second-degree burns in the blaze, which occurred on Palm Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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