The rising far-right and anti-migrant tendencies within the Greek Cypriot administration reared its ugly head as soon as extra leaving at the very least 5 folks had been injured in a sequence of racist assaults on international nationals late Friday.
The assault got here throughout an anti-migrant protest within the southern metropolis of Limassol on Friday night time, native media reported Saturday.
A gaggle of individuals, consisting principally of members of the far-right and racist National People’s Front (ELAM), gathered within the Molos space of the town to protest towards migrants.
Some 350 hooded rioters – and as many as 500 in some stories – attacked migrants and their companies. The rioters threw incendiary units and stones and set hearth to bins and automobiles earlier than police may disperse them.
They additionally carried banners with slogans similar to “Cyprus is Greek” and “Migrants, you are not welcome.” Police have detained at the very least 13 folks for getting concerned within the assaults.
Television footage confirmed passers-by operating for security whereas the hooded males rampaged with chants of “migrants out of Cyprus.”
A journalist masking the riot mentioned the hooded males attacked foreigners, who in flip obtained assist from different Cypriots to get to security. “The police were not able to protect the citizens and journalists,” the journalist mentioned.
A TV crew was additionally reportedly attacked by the hooded males.
Last weekend, related unrest focused primarily Syrian migrants within the small city of Chloraka, prompting safety forces to make use of tear gasoline and a water cannon. More violence ensued on Monday night time.
Authorities have been struggling to take measures towards the rising racist assaults within the Greek Cypriot administration lately.
In the final 16 years, 413 racist assaults and incidents have been taken to courtroom within the Greek Cypriot administration, and 125 circumstances associated to those issues are nonetheless pending within the courts, in keeping with every day Politis.
Counterprotests
Greek Cypriot administration leaders held an emergency assembly Saturday to deal with the far-right protest.
“I am ashamed of what took place yesterday,” Greek Cypriot administration head Nikos Christodoulides instructed the related ministers and heads of the the police, civil protection and hearth service. “Those who are responsible for it should also be ashamed.”
Later on Saturday night, lots of of individuals demonstrated towards the rising fascism and racism within the Greek Cypriot administration.
The demonstrators chanted, “smash fascism – in Limassol and everywhere.” The demonstration proceeded peacefully, in keeping with the police, as reported by native media Sunday.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
