Limassolians woke up to the sight of damaged shopfronts, burned bins and looted shops after an anti-immigration demonstration turned violent on Friday evening.
The demonstration started around 8 p.m. near Molos, with around 300 protesters marching and shouting “Illegals out of Cyprus” and “Cyprus is Greek.”
The situation soon got out of hand as a group of people started attacking migrants and journalists and throwing flares and molotovs.
More than five migrants sustained injuries from what witnesses described as unprovoked assaults. The mob also vandalised vehicles and properties, targeting migrant-owned businesses.
Police have arrested 13 people in connection with the incidents, including the demonstration’s alleged organiser.
In statements to the media on Saturday morning, Limassol Mayor Nicos Nicolaides, called for measures by the State to contain the violence, saying that “we have reached a critical juncture and decisive actions are needed.”
He added that it is inconceivable for the citizens of a modern city, Cypriots or foreign-born, to feel unsafe while noting that the municipality is in contact with the people who were targeted during the attacks.
Asked to comment on an upcoming counter-protest tonight, in support of migrants, Nicolaides said that “protests fall into the context of democratic dialogue when they are tolerant of opposite opinions and when they respect law and order. That is democracy. What we saw last night was not democracy. It was an extreme demonstration, bordering on fascist.”
Read more:
(Update) Far-right mob attacks migrants, journalists in Limassol anti-immigration demo [PHOTOS]
