Police have drawn fire over its violent crackdown of a protest outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia yesterday evening over the interception of a humanitarian aid flotilla travelling to Gaza.
Videos circulating online show riot police using pepper spray and batons against protesters. A journalist was attacked and thrown to the ground twice during the incident, whilst a citizen participating in the event was injured and subsequently taken to hospital.
Political parties and organisations have condemned the violence, with AKEL announcing a new demonstration today at 6:00 pm.
Demonstrator Andrianos Charalambous told state television: “For these incidents to occur, there must be two opposing sides, someone to provoke and someone else to attack. There was no provocation, there was an attack”.
Charalambous explained that protesters gathered outside the Foreign Ministry and Presidential Palace on the pavement yesterday at 5:30 pm.
“The goal was to remain on the pavement. The police, who were there to protect us, as their communications organs say, told us to go into the road. Initially, many of us wondered why, as we hadn’t planned to close the road, but they told us it was fine because quite a few people had gathered. They themselves stopped the cars and turned them back”.
After this action occurred, Charalambous continued, “We went onto the road, shouted five slogans, and an announcement was made through the megaphone. Throughout this process, which lasted about half an hour, there was a drone above us which many of us noticed. As soon as we finished, we applauded – you’ll see it in the videos – and we were ready to leave”.
At that moment, Charalambous said, “The drone leaves, and 10 patrol cars come rushing in, and 30 police officers with helmets, equipment, batons and shields disembark in formation. They say they asked us to leave and spoke with one or two people before attacking us, but they made no announcement and didn’t ask us to clear the road. They came; someone gave a shout and turned back to those lined up, and they simply attacked. The videos are posted, and mine shows the whole situation”.
Charalambous emphasised that there was no provocation from the protesters’ side. “The videos are there. We are one line, people lined up, shouting a slogan ‘Freedom for Palestine’ and the police come to break up the crowd and simply beat people. If you see the video, you’ll hear me saying, ‘What did we do? Why are you shoving? Why are you beating us?'”
Regarding contact with the police officer, he noted, “The person who came face to face with me and was hitting me with the baton didn’t speak Greek but in English and was telling me, ‘Go, go, leave'”.
I went to hospital yesterday because my shoulder is torn from the blow and I cannot use my left hand”.
Immediately after the incidents, a press officer from Police Headquarters told the Cyprus News Agency that the police role at the protest site concerned traffic regulation.
“There was policing for safety reasons. At some point the protesters entered the road, cutting off one lane. The police cut off the second lane as well, for their own safety and others using the road”.
According to information he received, the road opened around 8:00 pm, but police forces remained in the area as a small number of demonstrators also remained.
Asked about information regarding the use of tear gas, he said he had not received relevant information and therefore was not in a position to deny or confirm it.
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou sent a letter today to the Cyprus Police Chief regarding yesterday’s incidents caused by riot police forces.
“The incidents caused yesterday evening by riot police forces and the violence exercised against demonstrators are reminiscent of authoritarian regimes and practices that reek of fascism. AKEL will not allow anyone to turn Cyprus into a regime where batons rule,” the letter stated.
“It is our demand to be informed about who gave instructions and which ones to the specific group that was outside the Foreign Ministry. We demand a full and thorough investigation into the acts and actions of police officers who physically attacked demonstrators who were peacefully protesting yesterday evening and which constitute, in our view, abuse of duty and abuse of power”.
Stefanou added: “Mr Chief, AKEL will not allow the police to be turned into an instrument of repression and subversion of citizens’ democratic rights. I inform you that tonight at 6:00 pm AKEL will hold a protest event against the arbitrariness and authoritarianism of the police for which you bear responsibility”.
The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation also condemned the use of violence in an announcement, calling on “the Police Chief and the Justice Minister to proceed with an immediate and in-depth investigation into the incident and for responsibilities to be attributed where and as appropriate”.
The movement also questioned whether yesterday’s events fall within the framework of implementing the law on demonstrations.
Member of Parliament Irene Charalambidou commented on the incidents, emphasising that “it is proven that the legal opinion was rightly requested from OSCE on my initiative regarding the law, which in an unacceptable way supposedly regulates gatherings and parades and deregulates democracy”.
On Monday, she added, the Human Rights Committee will discuss the issue to take corrective measures.
She noted that “I will invite the OSCE legal team to come to Cyprus. Colleagues from AKEL submitted a proposal yesterday for its abolition. Personally, I will prepare amendments aimed at making the law compatible with OSCE provisions, and if the bill for its abolition doesn’t pass, in order to achieve broad consensus with the other parties and make the removal of problematic provisions achievable, I will submit the required amendments”.
The Cyprus Journalists’ Union condemned the violence against a journalist.
The use of violence against a journalist by police whilst she was performing her duties yesterday evening during the spontaneous protest outside the Foreign Ministry is unacceptable and condemnable, according to a relevant announcement.
The journalist subjected to police violence is Beisan Ibraheem, of Palestinian origin, a reporter at the Dialogos Media Group.
She identified herself as a journalist four times, and despite this, police officers continued to use violence against her, pushing her and throwing her to the ground twice, whilst she also had pepper spray sprayed in the face.
The Union condemned the incident and called on Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis to order an investigation into the entire event. “The errant police officers must be punished exemplarily,” the statement declared, adding that journalists in a law-abiding democratic state must be able to perform their work and mission unhindered and without obstacles.
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