THE MAYOR of Ayia Napa is cooperating with local police in a bid to prevent violence between British gangs from spilling on to the streets of the resort this summer.
Mayor Antonis Tsokkos said yesterday he had received information that a small number of Ayia Napa nightclubs had organised events with DJs who are well-known members of British gangs. He said they have visited the island before and were involved in a number of violent incidents with rival gangs.
“I received some information that a small number of clubs have organised events with specific DJs who have specific followers, and I know from past experience that this means trouble,” Tsokkos told the Sunday Mail.
“So we are making attempts to get them to cancel some of these events, firstly to preserve our town’s image, but also to ensure Ayia Napa is a safe place for youths to have fun.”
Ayia Napa gained a reputation in the early 2000s for violence associated with the house and garage scene. The most infamous incident was in July 2003 when Dylan Mills an MC known as Dizee Rascal, was stabbed three times in the chest, back and buttocks outside a nightclub in the centre of Ayia Napa. At least four other stabbings took place that month. Police at the time suspected that the incidents, none of them fatal, were related to the UK garage music scene and the gangs associated with some of the DJs.
In recent year, the Municipality has made strenuous efforts to clean up Ayia Napa’s image.
“Be sure that we will take all the necessary measures to ensure youths have a safe place to have fun in. We will not allow anyone to change that.” Tsokkos said, adding the Municipality was in cooperation with the police to determine which events should be cancelled and what measures need to be taken.
According to recent Scotland Yard data, there are currently around 160 gangs in the UK.
“These people have specific music preferences and they each have a DJ whom they idolise,” Tsokkos explained. “When there are events, other gangs may arrive and all hell breaks loose.”
The Ayia Napa mayor’s main aim is to create a safe environment for young holidaymakers.
“The message I would like to send out is that we welcome all youths in Ayia Napa and we want them to come here and have civilised fun. It’s a nice town for youths and adults, but only for those who respect the law.”
Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis, the owner of the Bedrock Pub in Ayia Napa, said the situation goes back years and described it as “a vendetta among gangs of black men”.
He said each gang has its own DJ, who booked events in one of five specific nightclubs in Ayia Napa. “A quick look at the clubs’ websites can confirm the events are taking place,” he said.
These gangs come into conflict and past experience has shown that the consequences are violently dire.
“Each year our Mayor tries to improve the situation, warning the specific club owners that they would have their licences revoked if they continued to book these DJs,” said Hadjiyiannis. “But they all look at their own best interests and point the finger at each other or even cover up for each other, making it impossible to deal with the situation.
The problem is an existing one; it’s real.”
The issue climaxed in the summer of 2000, though it had started a few years earlier.
Hadjiyiannis said there had been plenty of warnings on how the problem could escalate, from tourists and reps from the UK.
“They warned us about these gangs; we knew beforehand what was going to happen. But some of us are more interested in money than anything else.”
“Tourists know what goes on in the UK; when they come here and see that it is happening over here too, they are severely disappointed and indeed frightened.
A police source yesterday said there was not much the police could do beforehand, except make sure the law is being followed.
“As police, we cannot ban anyone from coming to Cyprus, but we can ensure the law is being adhered to. If the law is broken then we will intervene and make sure justice is applied.”
