Two monks from Stavrovouni monastery and four lay members of Orthodox Church unions were arrested yesterday during violent scuffles in Chlorakas (Paphos), as protests continued against a conference of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Police were seen to manhandle the monks and three of the four lay people as they physically removed them from Ayios Yiorgios church, directly opposite the conference venue. As the protestors were being removed, TV cameras recorded one monk’s hair being pulled.
The first arrests took place around 9.30am yesterday, after Paphos Bishop Georgios failed to convince the protestors – who had spent the night in the church – to vacate the premises. One of the protestors has alleged that Georgios hit him and grabbed a camera from his hands. The Bishop admitted taking the camera and passing it on to the police, but denies hitting the protestor.
The protestors are reported to have intended to stay in the church until the conference ends on, invoking the right of church asylum. The police entered the church to arrest the protestors on the basis that they had trespassed on private property owned by the Paphos diocese. The protestors will also face charges of creating a disturbance and resisting arrest.
Police remained on the scene, and around 11am Lavrentios de Giorgio, President of the Saint Kosmas Aitolos Orthodox Union, was arrested after insisting on his right to enter the church to worship. According to an official police announcement, when the 60-year-old was refused access, he began to shout at the police officers and was then arrested for creating a disturbance.
However, TV footage clearly and audibly shows that de Giorgio talked calmly to the police, informing them of his intention, and when his path to the church was blocked, simply stood still. At that point de Giorgio was heard to tell the police that, since he had British nationality, if they arrested him they should inform the British High Commission, “at which point, you understand, it becomes an international matter”. The police sergeant standing next to him was then heard to say: “If you carry on saying these things and running down our state, you are under arrest.” He then seized de Giorgio by the arm and led him away.
The police issued a press statement yesterday afternoon in response to suggestions that TV cameras had recorded officers using unnecessary force to eject the protestors from the church. The statement said that although the police had every right to use reasonable force, “at first sight it can be observed that in one case of attempting to carry out an arrest, a member of the police used unnecessary force due to the person resisting arrest.”
The statement also refers to actions by other police officers during the operation, “which could be described as unfortunate and inappropriate”. It added: “Unfortunately, such images damage the reputation and image of the police, and disappoint us.”
Based on the TV pictures, the Assistant Chief of Police has given instructions for a preliminary disciplinary enquiry to be carried out on an urgent basis. Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said yesterday that a decision will be taken on the basis of the enquiry’s findings whether some officers will face disciplinary action for “acts or omissions which are not in keeping with the appropriate and fitting behaviour of police officers in the carrying out of their duties.”
Yesterday’s events mark an escalation over three days of protests against the conference by people described by Bishop Georgios as “ultra-orthodox”.
On Monday, banner-waving protestors put a stop to a Catholic wedding ceremony at Ayios Yiorgos church after shouting a string of abuse at the priest and others in the church.
The protestors, who began demonstrating on Saturday, oppose dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and claim that the aim of the dialogue between the two churches is the submission of the Orthodox Church to the Pope.
The conference takes place every two years, and is due to end on October 23.
