Police arrest 20 in Cyprus as anti-migrant violence spreads

September 04, 2023
[caption id="attachment_1909" align="alignleft" width="770"]In the last 16 years, 413 racist attacks and incidents have been taken to court in the Greek Cypriot administration [Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP] In the last 16 years, 413 racist attacks and incidents have been taken to court in the Greek Cypriot administration [Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP][/caption]After a march against immigrants and refugees in Limassol, the island's second-largest city, descended into violence with mobs damaging property, Cyprus police detained 20 individuals. After roughly 500 people marched through the streets on Friday evening, there was turbulence that resulted in five injuries, according to the police. Police said that several establishments were vandalised as well as trash cans being set on fire. Some foreigners were allegedly assaulted during the march, according to witnesses reported by Cypriot media sites. According to the Reuters news agency, unrest persisted until the early hours of Sunday, assaulting Asian delivery drivers and smashing migrant businesses. The protesters—some of whom were hooded and had signs that said "Refugees not welcome"—were scattered by police using water cannons. Three Southeast Asian nationals were reportedly beaten and robbed throughout the course of the night between Saturday and Sunday. According to witness testimonies on social media, a group of travellers from Kuwait were among the victims. Senior diplomat Kyriakos Kouros said a protest was filed by an ambassador of an unnamed Arab state on Saturday after tourists were targeted. “They cut short their visit. I doubt they will ever return,” Kouros, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on the social media platform X on Sunday, posting a picture of the departure of a group at an airport. One member of the group was in a wheelchair. “It is the first time I have felt so embarrassed about such an incident in our country,” he wrote. “This isn’t the Cyprus I was born, raised, had a family and am getting old in,” he said.

You May Like