Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis has commended the swift response of the police to disturbances in Ayia Fyla on Friday night, which resulted in arrests. However, residents of the area continue to voice concerns over a perceived lack of police presence and frequent incidents.
Speaking to reporters in Larnaca, where he accompanied the President along with other ministers, Hartsiotis acknowledged a recent “surge” in juvenile delinquency.
He described the incident as unacceptable, noting that the police acted “immediately and effectively”. He added that police patrols would be increased, and operations intensified, especially during the period leading up to Easter, when youth delinquency tends to escalate.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to call on all other relevant bodies to assist the police in their efforts, such as local authorities, parents themselves, educators, and every citizen individually can contribute in their own way to limiting this bad phenomenon, which, I repeat, has seen a surge recently,” Hartsiotis said.
Responding to a question about the motives behind the unrest, he said that there was no information available yet. He noted that the incident involved approximately 150-200 people who appeared to have organised themselves, but that “the worst was avoided thanks to the immediate response of the police”.
The minister confirmed that arrests had been made, and that identification and further arrests would follow. He stated that the police would proceed with intensified actions, patrols, and operations to curb and combat this “bad phenomenon”.
Residents left frustrated
However, residents of the area have complained about the absence of police for some time, stating that similar incidents occur almost every Friday, leaving them afraid to leave their homes.
One resident described the situation to Philenews as “dramatic”, saying, “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 local bakery workers were very frightened, and recounted an incident where she was too scared to visit a pizzeria with her granddaughter due to the unrest. “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. We didn’t hear the police intervene promptly. They arrived very late. They had already destroyed everything, and the police did nothing to remove them. Until 11 pm, while I was watching, it was chaos, and from 9 pm, it was mayhem. People couldn’t pass, they were scared. I don’t know what will happen anymore. We feel like we’re on autopilot,” she emphasised.
The residents of Ayia Fyla are demanding immediate action from the authorities to restore safety to their area.
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