Police deployed tear gas inside the Nikos Solomonidis Athletic Centre in Limassol on Thursday evening during a futsal match between AEL and APOEL, forcing the referee to abandon the game and triggering disturbances that continued outside the stadium. One person was arrested.
An eyewitness told philenews: “People were leaving the stadium in tears, with children and families trying in panic to get away from the venue.”
According to information under examination by investigators, fans of the home team began throwing objects and firecrackers onto the pitch shortly before the end of the match.
A number of fans then entered the playing area, at which point the referee abandoned the game. Police intervened to restore order, deploying tear gas. Disturbances continued outside the stadium, with fans throwing stones, objects and firecrackers.
The cafeteria tenant at the stadium entrance, who spoke to philenews, said he did not know how the disturbances began but heard bangs inside the stadium and saw people leaving in tears from the effects of the tear gas. He said stone-throwing broke out outside the stadium shortly afterwards.
He closed the cafeteria shutters to prevent damage. Several people experienced breathing difficulties and ambulances arrived to assist those who needed help, he said.
He added that because the tear gas was deployed in an enclosed space, large numbers of people were affected. In one instance, he said, a child fell to the ground as a result of the suffocating conditions.
During the disturbances, police arrested a 19-year-old from Limassol on flagrant offence charges. He is alleged to have taken part in the disturbances and to have thrown objects at police officers, and is alleged to have resisted arrest.
Five vehicles parked in the stadium car park sustained minor damage.
The CID Limassol investigation is ongoing. Investigators are seeking individuals involved in the disturbances both inside and outside the stadium and are examining CCTV footage from the area.
