Residents of Ayia Fyla in Limassol have expressed outrage after disturbances on Friday evening saw around 200 youths clash near a local roundabout, causing damage and widespread disruption.
Locals told Philenews that the incident is not isolated, with groups of underage individuals regularly gathering in the area, creating an atmosphere of fear that deters residents from going out. They also allege a lack of police presence and insufficient action to address the issue.
“We can’t go out,” one resident told Philenews, describing the situation as “dramatic”. “Every Friday it’s chaotic. We can’t move around, we can’t leave our homes. The police are absent. I personally never see them. There are constant fireworks, explosions, a non-stop noise. No one can pass through here. If they try, they feel like they’ll be killed. They smash everything.”
The resident added that workers at a local bakery were very scared. “Sometimes, I take my granddaughter to the pizzeria to eat, but yesterday I told my husband I wouldn’t go again because I’m afraid. Last night, they were smashing everything in their path. We heard explosions, they started fires. They were dressed in black, holding batons. It was like we were in a foreign country, not Limassol.”
The resident criticised the police response, saying they arrived “very late” after the damage had already been done and did little to disperse the crowd, which caused chaos from around 9 pm until at least 11 pm. “People couldn’t pass, they were scared. I don’t know what will happen anymore. We feel like we’re on autopilot,” she stressed.
Residents of Ayia Fyla are calling for immediate intervention from the authorities to restore safety to their neighbourhood.
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