Police arrested three people after they allegedly displayed a Palestinian flag outside the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol during a football match between Pafos FC and the Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv yesterday.
According to police, the activists travelled to an area near the stadium and attached Palestinian flags to heart-shaped balloons, which were then released and flew over the pitch during the match kick-off.
Police officers identified and detained the three individuals for questioning over alleged offences related to displaying political symbols at a sporting venue and causing public disturbance. The three were charged in writing and were then released.
The three have been formally charged under Cyprus’s stadium violence legislation, specifically for displaying banners with political content at sporting events.
The arrests drew criticism from political organisations who accused police of heavy-handedness.
The afoa movement issued a statement condemning the arrests, claiming: “The extreme alignment of the republic of Cyprus with the apartheid state of Israel has reached such levels that even flying a Palestine flag leads to arrests.”
The group stated that Cyprus police arrested the activists “outside the new Limassol stadium, where Pafos FC are hosting Maccabi Tel Aviv, in a game that should have never been played.” Afoa demanded “the immediate release of the three activists.”
The Communist Initiative of Cyprus also criticised the arrests, describing them as “an unprecedented act of authoritarianism.” The organisation stated the activists were “quite far from the external area of the stadium, in a location where there was no gathering at that time.”
The group alleged that whilst police arrested the Palestinian flag protesters, Israeli supporters inside the stadium “displayed dozens of Israeli flags and interrupted the match for a considerable time with flares and fireworks, under the indifferent gaze of police and stadium supervisors.”
The Communist Initiative demanded “all charges be withdrawn and prosecutions against the activists cease,” stating: “Solidarity with Palestine cannot be criminalised or silenced.”
The match was attended by President Christodoulides, who is a supporter of Pafos FC.
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