Police car torched by 100 youths (Update)

A police car was completely destroyed on Easter Saturday night after having been set on fire when police responded to a call regarding youths congregating with Molotov cocktails in hand.

The incident took place on the side of the road between Ypsonas and Erimi in the Limassol district, with police being informed that the youths had been throwing Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at passing vehicles.

Riot police arrived on the scene and were subsequently attacked by about 100 people throwing Molotov cocktails, firecrackers, and rocks at them. They deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds, but not before the group had set fire to one of the police’s vehicles.

Four other police cars sustained material damage in the incident.

No arrests have been made thus far as the crowds fled once the tear gas was deployed. However, police found two bottles containing flammable liquid at the scene and took them as evidence.

Their investigation into the matter is ongoing.

On Sunday morning, the Cyprus police association condemned the previous night’s incident, saying it strongly condemns the “unacceptable attack on our police colleagues who were performing their duties in Ypsonas”.

They added that while the incident passed without injury, “we will remain on our colleagues’ side and we will not accept such attacks on our colleagues without consequences for those responsible.”

Meanwhile, trade union Isotita’s police branch chairman Nikos Loizidis said police officers’ “lives were in danger” during the incident.

He added that his union “stands with our colleagues”, and that the incident had caused “discomfort”.

“We have reached the end of our tether. Now, we are talking about people’s lives. We are not just numbers, nor are we expendable,” he said.

He called for stricter legislation on the custom of lambradjia, the lighting of fires during the Easter period, and said “once again, it was only by luck that we are not mourning people this morning, since the whole situation derailed last night.”

“If some people do not care about the lives of our colleagues, it is our duty to defend them and support them. Police officers are in danger, and ordinary people are in danger, too,” he said.